Infrastructure update in Paradise

In the eight months since California’s deadliest fire decimated Butte County communities, the Town of Paradise is making some progress on rebuilding.

As of this week, 6,429 properties have been cleared of debris, and 1,950 properties have been certified as clean, according to the Butte County Recovers website. There are 89 applications in the plan check phase, and 173 applications have been received. Butte County has overseen 73 building application permits, with 21 issued and one finalized within the burn area.

The Paradise Irrigation District has lifted its nodrink advisory on 41 properties so far. Paradise Unified School District is preparing for its move back to the ridge for the first day of school Aug. 15 by cleaning, painting and putting new furniture in classrooms. The Paradise Post Office at Clark Road re-opened in December.

There are around 200 businesses/organizations open. Many are at their same location including Adventist Health, Animal Hospital on the Ridge, local churches, real estate companies, Rite Aid Magalia, Save Mart in Paradise and Starbucks on Skyway Road. Readers can view a full list of businesses that have since closed, are opening soon, have re-opened at their same locations, re-opened at new locations, or have yet to be determined: https://tinyurl.com/yys6ck7f.

The government program is monitoring air quality at several areas in Paradise, Magalia and Oroville, according to Butte County Recovers. All areas in the recovery zone, this week, have been deemed “good,” while a construction zone at Neal Road is considered “moderate.”

Butte County and the town of Paradise host community meetings often; calendars for those can be viewed at: https://tinyurl.com/y2tj7qas.

The town has been hosting its annual Party in the Park and Marketplace each Wednesday since June 12 (it wraps up July 31). It hosts music, vendors and growers at Black Olive Drive, at its community park. The organizer of the event, Paradise Ridge Chamber of Commerce Director Monica Nolan, was commended at the Council meeting last week for its effect on the community.

“I also see community involvement, especially the first night sitting there, it was like any Party in the Park,” Councilman Steve Crowder said. “You don’t see the damage and destruction from there, everybody’s happy, people are driving from all over to get there, and it’s just giving us all a sense of normalcy.”

–Rachel Rosenbaum