The town of Bluffton will spend $48,000 on new signs for its historic old town district as well as landscaping and trees plantings.

On Tuesday, town council members signed off on a list of projects for the newly formed Beautification Committee and its budget.

In the months to come, the money will go toward an old town entry sign at Stock Farm on May River Road; relocating the existing old town sign at Hargray on Bluffton Road to a yet-to-be-determined spot and landscaping around it; and landscaping around the sign at M.C. Riley Elementary School on Burnt Church Road.

The money will also go to develop a tree planing program, including new trees on along the western portion of Buckwalter Parkway from Buckwalter Place Boulevard to the northern property line of Buckwalter Place, and hosting a 2013 Arbor Day event with the Beaufort County school district. Trees will be planted at the seven county schools within the town's limits, said Shawn Leininger, town planner.

The $48,000 total breaks down this way:

"What I envisioned was this committee to partner with groups like (the Bluffton Gardeners) and Rotary," he said. "I'm hoping, down the road, the committee looks beyond contracting with professionals to do the work."

Leininger said only $5,00 of the money will go toward contractors who will do beautification work, and the committee would work to find volunteer groups with which to partner.

Bluffton resident Sharon Brown who attended Tuesday's meeting, said she hoped future beautification projects would include other parts of town beyond Old Town.

Follow reporter Gina Smith at twitter.com/GinaNSmith.