Sixteenth Street could look better with brick sidewalks, models of the fruit orange, new light poles, and more code enforcement by the city.
Those were some of the ideas mentions during an hour and forty-five minute City Council workshop Tuesday night on improving the appearance of the commercial thoroughfare. About 35 people, including property owners along the street, talked about making the street look better.
Mayor Larry Spears Jr. said “there’s a new day in Orange. We’re pulling for progress.”
After hearing more than a dozen ideas, he said “some of the things we used to hear ‘no’ about, we’re going to change it.” The comment got applause.
Interstate 10 construction is continuing, but nearing completion at 16th Street, making it the main entrance into the city. Orange County Commissioner Johnny Trahan suggested getting signs and landscaping letting people know they are entering Orange. He said the Texas Department of Transportation might help.
Orange City Councilor Brad Childs, who owns a hardware store on 16th Street on the north side of the interstate, said people usually forget the two blocks of commercial properties north of the interstate. Those businesses need to be included with the ones south of the interstate.
Spears said the city had more than 700 responses to an online survey about aspects of 16th Street. Interim City Manager Kelvin Knauf said the results have not been tabulated, but they will be made public when completed.
Rose Thayer, who owns a T-shirt shop and building, said she has seen beautification projects come and go through the years. She pointed out that trees and foliage were planted along MacArthur Drive years ago, but now “it is crappy looking” because property owners did not keep up the maintenance.
She talked about Boston Avenue in Nederland where businesses are inviting and work together. “It makes you want to shop,” she said. “We don’t have anything like that.”
Suggestions included planting orange trees along 16th Street, possibly in pots. Someone mentioned the small, inedible ornamental kumquat orange trees the Lutcher Theater had in pots in the parking lot. City Councilor Annette Pernell said orange-colored trash cans could be set out to encourage people not to litter.
One popular idea is to get models of the orange fruit to put outside of businesses and along 16th Street.
Steve Maddox said a town in Florida has models of dolphins; Louisville, Kentucky, has horses, and Lake Charles has alligatorss. Other people mentioned Jacksonville, Texas, with models of tomatoes throughout town.
Ida Schossow, president of the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce, said the group had previously looked into the oranges. They cost about $500 each. Business owners would have to pay for the models.
Orange County Economic Development Director Jessica Hill said Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center is two blocks off 16th Street. Perhaps a tie-in to the gardens could be made on 16th.
Other comments included making the street, which is a five-lane state highway, safer. Johnny Trahan said the newer LED street lights to not put out as wide an arc of light. Entergy could install more lights with the city paying the monthly utility bill.
Some people talked about beggars coming up to customers in parking lots. Police Chief Lane Martin said some beggars thought of as homeless have places to live. He said begging is against city ordinances. Police go and check a complaint, but usually the person who called in the complaint has left and is not at the business to pursue a misdemeanor charge. Stores can file trespassing warnings against the beggars, he said.
Also, people said jaywalking needs to be stopped.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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