Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008

New information kiosk coming to York

By Christopher Sardelli

Enquirer Herald

YORK -- A new information kiosk may soon help visitors in York find their way around.

Presented at a recent York City Council meeting by Mayor Eddie Lee, the information kiosk is part of an initiative by the York County Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

The idea is to place kiosks in at least six locations, beginning in York and following in Lake Wylie, Clover, Fort Mill, Rock Hill and Tega Cay.

Lee recently met with Bennish Brown, the bureau's executive director, to discuss the addition to York.

"He said we're the county seat and he wanted us to have the first kiosk," Lee said. "His job is to get visitors to York County, and he wants us to show off all the things we've got going on."

The information kiosk, a two-sided sign constructed of aluminum with a decorative roof, will spotlight historical locations and annual events in York County on one side and the city of York on the other. The proposed draft of the kiosk also included detailed maps of each area, with important locations highlighted. In addition, the kiosk will have interior and exterior lighting.

Brown said the kiosks are already being fabricated at Diversified Signs & Graphics in York, with the first two or three becoming available for installation by the end of September or beginning of October.

He says the plan is to work with each town to customize their individual signs with specific information. York's, for instance, will include information on the McCelvey Center, Sylvia Theater and Windy Hill Orchard.

"The kiosks are designed to provide a fairly quick snapshot view for a visitor or resident of key attractions around York County," Brown said.

Funding for the kiosk comes from the hospitality tax York County began collecting from restaurants and hotels in January 2007. Brown said the funding was designed for these types of projects.

The idea for the information kiosks stems from tourism research the Visitor's Bureau conducted in 2005. When visitors to the area were asked about their likes and dislikes, many enjoyed their visit but said there wasn't enough signage to direct them around the county.

So the kiosks were developed the help visitors navigate York County's attractions.

Lee wants to proceed with the project and asked council and the public to think of possible locations for the kiosk to be installed in the city, preferably those with plenty of foot traffic.