As Gainesville officials begin to plan for the next 20 years, they want to put an emphasis on the roads that lead into Gainesville.

"These key points of entry into the city define what the community is all about," said Rusty Ligon, director of the city's Community Development Department. "They are important to us from a functional transportation perspective as well as a symbolic perspective."

The planning department added a focus on gateway roads to the 2004 comprehensive plan when residents expressed an interest in more welcoming entrances to the city along Thompson Bridge Road, Dawsonville Highway, Brown's Bridge Road, McEver Road, Atlanta Highway, Queen City Parkway, Athens Highway, Cleveland Highway and E.E. Butler Parkway.

Gainesville City Council members adopted an ordinance in 2005 for these corridors, which requires certain building materials, underground utilities and parking lots along the back and sides of a building.

For the next comprehensive plan, Gainesville planners will ask residents this summer about the next steps to take.

"We want to know what is working and what we could improve since the ordinance passed in 2005," Ligon said. "It's neat to think back to this being an idea in 2004, turning into a code and now we need an update for the next year."

Gateway plans are prevalent across the state, said Dale Jaeger, a landscape architect with The Jaeger Co. Jaeger has helped with gateway landscaping in Rome, Floyd County and Greensboro and will now help Flowery Branch and Oakwood to develop their city entrances.

"First impressions create lasting impressions, whether you're a resident who has lived there for years or a visitor for the first time," she aid. "It should reflect the character and identity of the community, and that's something we will consider as we work on Flowery Branch and Oakwood."

Attention to corridor details became a trend about 20 years ago, Jaeger noted.

"Cities wanted visitors to stay and visit the restaurants and spend some money while they're there," she said. "It's an economic development tool because people will stay in places that are pleasant to look at, and this includes planting boxes and flowering that enhances the city entrance as you would do in your home."

City planners now include the details earlier in the comprehensive planning stage, she added.

"These signs and vegetation don't get thrown into place," Jaeger said. "It takes a lot of thought and consideration, and cities want to do them right. You can only do it once, and then it'll be in the ground for a long time."

For 2013, Gainesville officials want to add citywide signs to direct drivers from Interstate 985 and pedestrians around the downtown area.

"As we look ahead, we want to target tourists and visitors and make them feel welcome to Gainesville," said Catiel Felts, communications and tourism director. "We also want to put up some way-finding signage so when people are walking around, they can get around easily and see where certain attractions are."