The Old Town Orcutt Revitalization Association (OTORA), by working with the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, Supervisor Joni Gray, and Santa Barbara County Public Works, was able to help acquire more than $300,000 in federal stimulus monies to build our “model intersection” at Clark Avenue and Gray Street in Old Town Orcutt.
The project improves vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian circulation; ADA access; and safety. OTORA lobbied for the project and was instrumental in getting project enhancements, including eight street trees with grates, brickwork in the sidewalks, stamped concrete crosswalks, and planters.
We were concerned that the planters would simply get filled with wood chips but Danny George Landscaping and the Old Town Garden Center offered to adopt the planters. Memorial trees with a plaque honoring a loved one and the like for this intersection are available. The money will be used for OTORA’s next beautification project, a Veterans Memorial Flagpole located on Clark Avenue just west of Highway 135.
OTORA would like to thank everyone who helped make this project become a reality. Please continue to help by supporting the businesses in Old Town Orcutt, especially at this intersection, which suffered during the construction process. OTORA’s annual fundraiser and barbecue dinner will be held on Oct. 2 at the Newlove Picnic Grounds on Orcutt Hill.
OTORA is a nonprofit 501c and, as such, your donations are tax deductible. To buy a memorial tree or barbecue tickets or to donate to the flagpole project, call 937-5849 or 714-1165 or send an e-mail to admin
@orcutt.biz.
This article appears in Aug 12-19, 2010.
