Former Paradise Mayor, Ray Dalton, on local issues.
Downtown
I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to attend the ribbon cutting of the all new “Back at the Ranch, Barbara Ely’s store moved from the Safeway shopping center into our downtown. I couldn’t help but notice all the new business’ that have sprung up this past year. There are in fact few if any empty buildings in what is now a vibrant business area. I see a lot of private money being spent on clean up, spruce up, and rebuilding, what I don’t see however is the new sidewalks, lights, benches and parking the town was to provide.
Six years ago (when I was young) when I was running for council, rebuilding our downtown was the cornerstone of my platform. In that first year we started our ‘Downtown Revitalization’, next we formed our ‘Redevelopment Agency’, which helped keep local taxes dollars local. We formed committees, we made plans, we hired architects, we made promises. We promised the business community that if they put their funds into the area we would make said improvements. We made a good start at the corner of Pearson and Black Olive, but now we seem to be faltering?
I spoke with town manager Chuck Rough who informed me “not so�. Although the community park at Pearson and Black Olive is considerably behind schedule, and the new “community village� (which I have never been a particular advocate of) has taken a lot of time and resources, the town has just acquired the small property at Skyway and Foster for downtown parking. Mr. Manager also informs me the “facade renovation program� continues to pull in new business’ that wish to take advantage of shared funding. Is this a promise fulfilled? No. Is it an issue that has been dropped by town hall? I hope not. I think it may well be a case of new projects, priorities, and political alliances that form every two years, which is to be expected. I do however hope the November election ushers in a resurgence of leadership that remembers the vision earlier councils had for our rapidly changing community; I trust the community does as well.