The Orange Plaza, once the historic heart of a vibrant and flourishing city, is deteriorating quickly into a dirty and crime ridden problem for a city facing serious financial problems and a shortage of Police Officers.
Residents and business owners are increasingly sounding the alarm to city officials about the conditions in the Plaza. One business owner who spoke to us asking that we not identify him told us “We are very concerned with conditions in the circle, from dog poop, to the smell of urine, filthy sidewalks, screaming mentally ill homeless people, YouTubers assaulting a man out shopping with his family, theft, you name it. One lady stepped in dog poop in front of my store just yesterday. Things need to change and they need to change quickly before people cut back on shopping and eating here. The police are trying but they are chronically under staffed and the city is out of money.”
Orange native Arianna Barrios represents District 1, which includes the Plaza and Historic District on the Orange City Council. Long a vocal advocate for both areas, she told us “Maintaining the Plaza has been an ongoing challenge, and one that hopefully has an emerging solution. With revenues now incoming from the paid parking program, funds are being dedicated to cleaning the City’s second largest revenue producing area. It is certainly something I will fight to make happen, those dollars deserve to stay in Old Towne and not subsidize other areas that have not done the work (or gone through the pain) to become as commercially viable as Old Towne has.”
According to several sources, Mayor Dan Slater is reportedly going to ask the City Council at the next council meeting to resume a contract to power wash the Plaza regularly. That contract was ended over a year ago due to budget issues.
Among the many issues plaguing the Plaza…
THE HOMELESS ARE REGULARLY SLEEPING AND RELIEVING THEMSELVES IN THE PLAZA AREA DESPITE THE BEST EFFORTS OF POLICE.
IN MANY AREAS, INCLUDING PLAZA PARK, THE STENCH OF URINE IS SOMETIMES OVERWHELMING. LIGHT AND OTHER FIXTURES ARE BEING CORRODED BY MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF DOG URINE THAT IS LEFT UNCLEANED DUE TO THE STOPPAGE OF THE POWER WASHING CONTRACT. MANY DOG OWNERS ARE FAILING TO PICK UP FECES.
CRIME, PANHANDLING, SHOPLIFTING, AND EVEN ASSAULTS ARE BEING REPORTED BY MERCHANTS. THE “ITY OF ORANGE” APPEARS TO HAVE TOO MANY ISSUES AT A TIME IT HAS TOO LITTLE MONEY.
WHILE THE CITY CAN’T REMOVE FOOD TRUCKS FROM THE HISTORIC DISTRICT DUE TO LOOSE STATE LAWS, IT CAN ENFORCE CITY ORDINANCES TO STOP BLATANT LAWLESSNESS BY HIGHLY COMPETITIVE FOOD VENDORS BLASTING MUSIC, AND SIRENS FROM A BULLHORN IN EXCESS OF 100 DECIBELS OFTEN UNTIL NEARLY 3 AM. THEY ALSO ARE LEAVING LITTER BEHIND WITHOUT BOTHERING TO PICK IT UP. CODE ENFORCEMENT HAS FAILED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS. POLICE, STRETCHED THIN BY SERIOUS MANPOWER ISSUES ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO MONITOR THE BARS AS WELL AS THEY HAD BEEN IN THE PAST.
