The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

The Orange City Council and the City of Orange Economic Development Corporation have set two public hearings for comments on the downtown master plan.

The city has posted the meetings for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. Thursday at the Orange Public Library. The meetings will be presided over by the EDC President Ben Culpepper.

In addition to the two city groups, the agenda includes meetings of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission, the Historical Preservation Commission, the Board of Adjustment, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau Board.

Also landscape architect Jeffrey Carbo who is designing the downtown master plan, will be attending.

The city is talking about issuing $6.5 million in bonds from the EDC to pay for the design and construction of the master plan.

The latest plans call for the city to build a riverfront park where the old Jack Tar Hotel is. The park will include an outdoor performance pavilion. The city bought the Jack Tar in the summer and plans to tear it down.

A boardwalk along the Sabine River from across the street from Lamar State College-Orange to the Jack Tar is also part of the plan designs. Other designs include landscaping with trees and special paving along Fifth Street.

The city is using hurricane recovery money to build a new Senior Citizens Center/Meals on Wheels building across the street from the Jack Tar.

Other stakeholders in downtown--LSC-O and the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation--have also hired Jeffrey Carbo for landscaping and design services for their downtown properties.