Q: What is the latest on the Orange Picker Road realignment construction project [as of interview date of June 18]?
A: Orange Picker Road reopened as projected on June 17. This morning, I walked the road and found there are some adjustments to be made which I communicated to the traffic engineers. First, the sign that warns about the curve in the road is hidden behind some trees and is not easily visible. Second, the stop sign is not positioned properly to give adequate line of sight. These suggestions are to help secure the safety of drivers on the road. The next steps will be to complete the parking area by the ballfield and continue with the dog park upgrades.
Q: Are there any pending rezoning applications to discuss?
A: At this time and to my knowledge, there are actually no pending rezoning applications in Mandarin.
Q: Can you address some of the upgrades and improvements coming to Mandarin area parks?
A: There are a number of planned and pending improvements for our parks, but unfortunately since these things tend to take awhile, we can’t put a timeline on them at this point.
Designs are in place for new interactive sculptures at Losco Park and Chuck and Corky Rogers Park. The plans are just getting modified to meet the safety requirements of the city, but these will be exciting additions to these parks.
Restroom facilities are being completed at the Durbin Preserve Park.
The design state is nearly completed for a new playground facility at Tommy Hazouri Sr. Park.
Finally, the playground at Palmetto Leaves Park had to be removed for safety concerns. Parks and Recreation is looking for funds to replace it; this will likely be sometime next year. At this same park, the completion of the northern field design will be going out to bid soon.
Q: Do you have anything else to share with District 6?
A: Right now (mid June) the City Council is busy working on the stadium deal. I anticipate that the stadium deal will be finalized by the end of June, but the CBA (Community Benefits Agreement) will likely be carried into July.
As usual, the City Council will take its annual hiatus the first two weeks of July and I will be taking some time off with my family. Our office will still be attentive to constituents’ needs; communication via email is preferred for a timely response.
Q: What is the best way for our readers to contact you?
A: Community members can email me at MBoylan@coj.net or call (904) 255-5206.
