The city of Orange has started the annual demolition of dilapidated houses, including three on Main Avenue.
The city uses federal Community Development Block Grants each year to remove the old houses, some of which have been abandoned. Public hearings were held on the demolitions and they were reviewed by the Orange Historical Preservation Commission.
The houses are at 1408 Main Avenue, 1503 Main Avenue, 1505 Main Avenue, 1601 South Georgia Street, 2307 Sixth Street, 4415 Brown Avenue, 312 Rhode Island Street, 601 North Street, 603 North Street, 605 North Street, 1201 Orange Avenue, and 1311 DuPont Drive.
The City Manager, staff, Mayor & council
should be commended for beginning a program of demolishing abandoned & delapedated homes & buildings. The money used however using CDBG only
allows us to scratch the surface of the
need here in our City of Orange. In The
Cove community of Orange alone their are
over 25 derelict &. Abandoned homes &
buildings that badly need demolition .
This problem didn’t happen over night,
not going to be cured over night. Demolishing a few houses a year with CDBG funds is not going to solve the problem. We need a commitment from
Our Mayor & council . That they understand we have a serious problem,
and will fund the necessary resources
to make our City a safer & better place in which to live.
We need more splash pads, skate parks, “master plans” and river walks overlooking barges (sarc)
I was conceived and lived in the Cove the majority of my life (68 years). The Cove used to have a bad reputation long ago; it has much rich history.
The Cove is a nice place to live now and the Neighbors are wonderful and friendly. We need to all take pride in Our Cove Community and get involved to preserve it; littering seems to be a serious problem here, people not putting their household garbage in bags; lids fly open on garbage cans and it flys everywhere. Some open their car door and a walmart bag flies out; they just watch it float off in the sunset; I watch them! Others are piling garbage on the streets that should be disgarded as weekly household garbage. This seems to be a problem all over Orange! Just look when you commute around.
As far as household residences some Families are on fixed incomes and do the best they can; others are elderly and cannot do much. But again some others are young, healthy and it seems as though they have no pride, maybe it is in their up bringing.
I applaud our City Leaders and think they are doing a great service to us. Some are new to Office and time will tell.
I also agree with the afforermentioned comments and ideas.
In my opinion , the city leaders need to untie the hands of our very capable code
enforcement department. Increase their
budget & give them a directive to clean our city up. ……Just my thoughts .
Once the dilapidated houses/structures are removed who owns the land? Does the city own the land due to back taxes? If the city would sell these pieces of property to fund other demolition this might be the money they need. Are a good start.
I think those properties are right behind the Ford dealership.
Good industrial property.
Slim-T the city gets a lean on the property when they demo it. Cleaning the dilapidated houses & buildings down. decreases drug use in neighborhood’s
makes the property sellable. Puts the property back on the tax rolls. Folks build houses kids go to our schools. Taxe’s get paid. There is no down side to demolition .
Folks just have to believe in our city.
I think our city manager & staff & mayor&
Council do . They are just being pulled every which way by desire to make all these improvements before our city is cleaned up. Just my thoughts…..
“folks just have to believe in our city”? That belief comes with two words – trust and transparency. Two items that we have not witnessed from council during the past 6-8 years.
JB I’ve been working with the city to improve our neighborhood’s here in The Cove for over 30 years. Started showing progress when Brown Claybar became Mayor . I think the world of our City Manager. I don’t think we could ask for a better Mayor than LarrySpears Jr. But nothing comes easy in this city. We have to keep trying. Even when you think their not hearing you. Don’t ever give up.