Published: September 25, 2009 10:48 pm      

MacDonald provides info on progress of WO since storm

ORANGE — Although the community of West Orange received less attention to its hurricane ravaged community than its nearby communities such as Bridge City and Orange, the damage was equally as severe in some areas. But things are looking up.

Mayor Roy MacDonald was one of several elected officials who attended Thursday’s “Progress in Orange County” luncheon at Lamar State College-Orange sponsored by the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce.

The purpose of the event was to allow local elected officials the opportunity to inform area business leaders, dignitaries, and members of the community on how each city in Orange County, and the county itself, have recovered since the storm. This included MacDonald’s community of West Orange.

“We lost some industry and some homes due to the storm,” MacDonald said. “DuPont and Invista have cut way back since the storm, and some of the industry in our ETJ (extra-territorial jurisdiction) was really affected.”

MacDonald said approximately 17 homes have been “lost” to the city and will not be rebuilt.

“We had many more than that damaged from the storm, but those residents have since made repairs or are still working on their homes,” MacDonald continued.

MacDonald the tax base for the City of West Orange “will take a hit” because of the loss of businesses and homes, and estimates it to be about a 6 to 7 percent loss.

MacDonald said the city has been awarded a $1.4 million grant which will replace several generators used for critical infrastructure and also help repair flood damaged streets. However, West Orange is still waiting to receive these funds to begin the work projects.

MacDonald said some residents have still not returned since the hurricane, but the city has made strides since the storm and will recover.

MacDonald also said the city has removed, in addition to what FEMA removed, 10,000 yards of debris at a cost of approximately $72,000.

“We’ve requested an extension from FEMA for assistance with the debris removal, but we are still waiting to hear from them on that,” he added.

MacDonald credited the Stark Foundation for its assistance following the storm when the foundation awarded a grant to the city to help West Orange families by covering the costs of property demolition.

Although things may sound bleak to some people, MacDonald believes the outlook for his citizens and community is positive.

“Between Sept. 15, 2008 and Sept. 8, 2009, the city of West Orange has issued 276 building permits for remodeling, renovation or new construction,” he stated. “That’s approximately $8 million in work being done in our city. People are coming back and repairing homes and commercial facilities, and that is very positive for us.”

Mayor MacDonald’s information on West Orange was inadvertently left out of the original article in Friday’s edition of The Orange Leader.



Tommy Mann Jr. is a reporter for The Orange Leader. He can be reached at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2619 or tmann@orangeleader.com