POINT LOMA – The Point Loma Association celebrated the completion of the new Point Loma Gateway Sign in style, with speeches, a ribbon cutting, and a slideshow capped off by a champagne toast.
“It is with great pride and excitement that I welcome you to the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony,” said Beth Roach, board chair of the PLA, which she noted is an all-volunteer, nonprofit group dedicated to keeping the Peninsula beautiful.
“For 65 years, our volunteers have made a difference in the community. We’re inspired today by those who came before us. And we hope this sign will inspire a future generation to become caretakers of the Peninsula by volunteering.”
The PLA’s dedication ceremony on March 10 for the community’s new milestone marker was attended by Mayor Todd Gloria.
The event about the three-year project included a slideshow highlighting the sign’s history and development. The event was held in front of a 20-inch replica of the community’s new signature gateway monument sign, now on sale through the PLA.
High-profile Peninsula philanthropist Dorothea “Dottie” Laub was saluted at the ceremony for her ongoing contributions to the Point Loma community and for helping make the new gateway sign possible. “Without your generosity, Dottie, this sign would not be completed — there would be no gateway sign,” said Roach.
“The city of San Diego is a city of villages, and each neighborhood has its own unique vibe and personality, and most of those neighborhoods have their own gateway sign,” said past PLA board member J.T. Barr, president of Schmidt Design Landscape Architects in Point Loma, who led the volunteer committee spearheading the project. “Well, now we have ours.”
Barr summed up the work done to create Point Loma’s new gateway sign as a legacy. “The work of the PLA continues to honor our rich history, and our community always has an eye toward the future.”
The mayor saluted the community and the PLA for the nonprofit’s ongoing contributions to Point Loma.
“I had to be here because I had one sole responsibility, which is to simply convey the appreciation, the gratitude, and the respect of the city of San Diego to the PLA for delivering this treasured gift in our public right-of-way to highlight one of our most historic communities,” said Gloria.
Gloria pointed out that community gateway signs are difficult to do today because sometimes the new signs don’t quite hit the mark.
Identified early as a community priority, the approximately 29-foot-tall, 22-foot-wide Point Loma Gateway Sign, supported by an 8.5-foot-deep foundation, serves as an illuminated landmark welcoming residents and visitors into the Point Loma community.
Bringing the sign to life required years of planning and collaboration between volunteers and project partners. Design development spanned several years, followed by an 18-month to two-year formal design phase. After final approvals were granted in mid-September 2025, construction and installation were completed within a few months.
Since its installation, the Gateway Sign has received an enthusiastic response from residents, businesses, and visitors, quickly becoming a new landmark for Point Loma. Funded entirely through private community donations, the project was brought to life by a dedicated team of professionals and volunteers.
