Maintenance Committee: March Update

MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE
A Fresh Look for Our Streets: The Signage Refurbishment Project—If you’ve taken a stroll through
our neighborhood lately, you probably noticed our street signs looking a bit sharper. After years
of enduring the coastal salt air and sun, the iconic wooden signposts were in dire need of a
facelift due to significant moisture and weather damage. In addition, many of the solar lights
needed repair, so the Maintenance Committee and our Facilities Manager moved to address the
situation.
We found that this sign renovation project carries a deep history. Years ago, a talented woodworker
within our community created the original dolphin template that gives our street signs
their unique character. When the time came to restore the dolphins, the committee initially
struggled
to find the “perfect, authentic grey” paint for the dolphins. But Committee Chairperson Suzanne Enis proposed a more
cohesive vision: matching the dolphins to the signature blue used in universal signage throughout
Niguel Shores. Facilities Manager Bob Everson tracked down the exact color specifications, Suzanne
sourced the paint from Ganahl Lumber, and the work began.
Honoring the Craftsmanship—We owe Al Glatt a huge debt of gratitude for all his hard work and
effort on this project! While Al and Suzanne originally kicked off the refurbishing project
together, the lion’s share of the labor has fallen to Al. He has gone above and beyond, rebuilding
the posts and replacing numerous dolphins by hand in his wood work shop at home. Supporting this
effort, the Maintenance Team replaced roughly a dozen concrete footings and brackets to ensure the
signs will stand level and sturdy for years to come. Al recently provided an impressive update: 78
street signposts have been reworked. As of this writing, only one post remains for sanding and
painting, and two final dolphins are slated for replacement on Ports of Call. Thank you, Al, for
taking on this project with such skill and craftsmanship!
Looking Ahead—Once the street signs are complete, Maintenance will shift focus to the light poles
in the club-house parking lot. Following that, we will begin refurbishing our wooden mailbox
structures. We are currently looking for a new volunteer to lead the mailbox phase. If you have a
passion for keeping our community beautiful, we would love your help as we continue to keep Niguel
Shores the extremely well maintained community we all love!
—Geoff Dunlevie