There's one sign at the entrance of East Mithoff Street announcing the existence of Merion Village.

Some local folks think it's not enough.

The Merion Village Association is looking to bolster the neighborhood's identity by placing signs at each of the community's major gateways.

The purpose is to raise awareness not only with visitors, but also residents of the community, said Bill Doughton, a member of the association's board of trustees. The association hopes improved identity will lead to more members, which means additional membership dues and an improved revenue stream.

Merion Village, German Village's neighbor to the south, has struggled with name recognition. The neighborhood of about 5,000 residents meanders through the South Side, its boundaries unclear to most people, Doughton said.

With strong working-class roots, the community has seen a revival in the past 15 years or so, said Doughton, a lifelong resident of the area. He said he doesn't want to see the neighborhood lose energy because of apathy.

"Of course you want to maintain momentum. You have to continue to build on the successes. I think you can reach a plateau of complacency and I don't think that's what we want to do," said Doughton, who added that the association needs to do a better job of neighborhood outreach.

The association has enlisted the help of the Neighborhood Design Center, a nonprofit group charged with identifying where to place the signs and helping to present initial style concepts to the public. There are now five pedestrian and 16 vehicular access points to the neighborhood, with three considered major gateways.

The next step is to hold a public meeting in September to get residents' perspectives, said Cheryl Huffman, director of landscape and urban design at the Neighborhood Design Center.

"We will encourage people to bring photographs and graphics of what they'd like to see," Huffman said.

The Neighborhood Design Center is not attaching cost estimates to the signage, so it is unclear how much it will cost, Huffman said. The association could apply for grants or seek donations from the community to pay for the markers, she said.

"We're really hoping to have a plan for installation over the next couple of months, taking the community's feedback and coming up with some phasing ideas," she said.

Huffman sees value in community markers.

"It helps define the neighborhood," she said. "The boundaries are very set but a lot of people aren't even aware of them. Identity is a source of pride."