YORBA LINDA : Old Towne Area to Get Make-Over

A clock tower, water fountain and improved landscaping and lighting for the Main Street Old Towne area were approved this week by the Redevelopment Agency.

However with funding for the $500,000 project tied up in the failed county investment pool, city officials are uncertain when construction on the improvements will begin.

Local merchants and city officials hope the planned improvements will attract more shoppers to the historic stretch of Main and Olinda streets just north of Imperial Highway. Main Street, one of the original retail areas in the city, has a dwindling number of shoppers because of its lack of visibility, merchants say.

“For some reason, the Old Towne area is like a secret,” said Glen Swindler, president of the Main Street Merchants Assn.

To draw the attention of passing motorists, architects have planned a 30-foot clock tower at the northwest corner of Main Street and Imperial. Benches and potted plants will be set along both Main and Olinda, and increased and improved lighting will be installed as part of the plan.

To emphasize the area’s roots in farming and ranching, a display of farming implements will be permanently installed across from Bank of America, on the west side of Main Street.

“The overall purpose is really to provide a face lift for Old Towne,” said landscape architect Keith Rattay, designer of the project. “The clock tower will be a magnet to draw you to Main Street and the rest of the elements are designed to encourage you to stay there and shop, to encourage pedestrian activity.”