New official logo for Cathedral City stirring up a bit of controversy

A change in Cathedral City is sparking some controversy.

Its a new official city logo.

The new logo can be viewed at the bottom right corner of the homepage of the city’s website.

“It would not compel me to think of Cathedral City when I look at that particular logo,” said Cathedral City florist Dave Rohr, who is among a number of business owners in the city voicing displeasure with the the new logo.

A fan of the old logo, he describes the new logo as looking like “bear claws, juvenile, and not professional”.

“I don’t like the new logo because it doesn’t say anything. It looks like three little triangle marks, with Cathedral City under it, and it doesn’t look like a logo would,” said Rohr.

When compared side by side, the changes appear relatively minor at quick glance.

However, the new logo does away with some of the details, including removing the sand at the base of the cathedral shapes, and removing the visual enhancements from the cathedrals.

There are fewer words and the lettering is simplified.

The City Council voted unanimously to adopt the proposed change during a meeting a year ago, but many residents in the city are just now noticing the change, because the new logo is being rolled out gradually.

“I don’t understand why in the middle of everything they’re changing the logo, and I don’t understand why that is a concern,” said Rohr.

Mayor Kathy Derosa tells us the change was made primarily because the logo they are doing away with does not reproduce well in digital formats because of some of the logo’s more intricate detail.

Derosa says the cost to the city to make the change is negligible, because printed materials like business cards, and flyers will feature the new logo only after current printed supplies run out.

The only other changes that will take place are online.

Street signs won’t change, nor will changes be made to the city welcome sign on Date Palm Drive just south of the I-10.

Still, Lynne Mallotto, the head of the Chamber of Commerce says the majority of business owners are not pleased.

“Some of the business community have conveyed that it is sophomoric and oversimplified. It is inconsistent with what has been established, and there is resistance. There are no two ways about it,” said Mallotto.

Mallotto, who is a former city employee, says the new logo, now also seen hanging in front of city hall, is the fourth logo change she has seen in the city over the past 20 years.

Another business owner, Bonnie Barkley at Cello’s restaurant, says a different logo is not what bothers her.

Her complaint has to do with a city council spending time on what she calls a “minor issue”, when she claims there are much more pressing matters.

“It should be a non topic. We should be talking about proposition B, to get our one cent tax continued. We have a great new city manager who is helping us to set our goals for the city,” said Barkley.

Not available to comment on camera, city council member and candidate for mayor Stan Henry said “the new logo was the result of work by a branding and marketing committee that completed its work a couple of years ago. They thought this was best for the city, and now its time to move on”.

One big issue voters in the city will decide in June is measure B.

If approved, it would extend a one cent tax on every transaction in the city.