At the Annual Meeting on October 30, 2017 the Board selected a design similar to the other signs in Emerson because the price was the most reasonable and the area was deemed too small for a wall.
The sign vendor included the quill pen in the Emerson logo (which hearkens back to Emerson's namesake, the writer Ralph Waldo Emerson) even though we had omitted it because it was supposed to cost extra as a custom design, so that was an unexpected bonus. The stone accent at the bottom was also a free option.
Our HOA is presently trying to decide how to landscape the area around the base and expect to have that area repaired and cleaned up within a few weeks.
The total price exceeded the target budget slightly once bids were received and permit fees were included, but our HOA is still very healthy financially, with reserves ahead of schedule for our major future expenses.
And the relative lack of snow this winter means our snow removal budget was largely untapped (though weather is so unpredictable a future winter could always exceed its budget).
For those interested, the pictures below show the entrance monument sign in various stages of construction:
