SALISBURY, Md. - Overlooking the intersection of Route 13 and Naylor Mill Road, the giant letters "S-B-Y" are turning heads.
The letters are a common abbreviation for Salisbury, and also part of a brand new sign welcoming visitors to the city.
An idea to install new welcome signs on Routes 13 and 50 entering Salisbury first came together in 2017.
And so far, reaction to the sign has been mostly positive.
"Well, you got to make recognition of the town, or the city. And, I have nothing against using taxpayer's funds to pay for something like that," said Dennis Todd of Salisbury.
"I noticed it the other day when we rode by," said Wendy West of Parsonsburg, Md. "I think it's very modern looking, very progressive looking. And I think it looks really great and I really excited to see it at night, lit up."
"I think it looks great coming into Salisbury," said Casey Lemp of Salisbury. "It makes it seem more friendly, more open."
The size and design of the sign reminded some of an airport entrance, like Los Angeles' LAX International Airport.
"I noticed that its the letters that you typically see at the airport, so I knew right away what it meant, so I think it looks great for our city," West continued.
According to the City of Salisbury, the total cost to install the sign came to $62,000, paid for through bond funding.
Opposition to the sign mainly focused on that cost and source of funding.
"My wife and I saw that yesterday, and she even said to me, and I thought the same, [it's] a big waste of money for the town," said neighbor Chris Kane.
Some thought the resemblance to the iconic LAX airport was a bit confusing.
"It did say welcome at the bottom, which, you know, from a welcome perspective, it's saying welcome, but you kind of see the airport-esque-ness of it a little bit too much," said Danielle Glatts of Landenberg, Pa.
"The sign is pretty cool, but it's not telling you what it is, it's just saying SBY," said Miguel Garcia of Salisbury. "If it said 'Welcome to Salisbury', something like that, with the flag, it would be a little bit better."
For visitors to Salisbury, who are the target audience for the sign, the response was also mostly positive.
"I thought that if you're driving, and you see the sign, it really catches your attention, and it's very modern I would say," said Olivia Stern, visiting from Flemington, N.J.
"I think it's great!" said Emily Barger, visiting from Zionsville, Pa. "It makes you feel welcome, and it makes it look like one more little town is coming into the future with the three digits, easy to find, three letter code. I think it's awesome!"
The sign also lights up at night, using energy-efficient LED light bulbs, providing at 24/7 welcome to the Crossroads of Delmarva.