Orland council weighs paint, fencing and landscaping for new water tank after Arts Commission recommendation

The Orland City Council and members of the public spent a large portion of Tuesday’s meeting debating what the new million-gallon water storage tank at Sixth Street and Colusa should look like, with the Arts Commission urging a pale “lemon water” base color, no mural and screening landscaping.

The Arts Commission memo presented to the council recommended a light “lemon water” color from the manufacturer palette, said painting a mural on galvanized welded steel panels is not recommended because of durability concerns, and suggested wrought-iron fencing with Italian cypress trees behind it as a visual screen and protection for the structure.

The recommendation mattered because, as staff told the council, the contractor prefers a light base color to reduce heat on the tank panels and the panels are primed at the factory; the council needed to identify a base panel color promptly to keep panel coating work on schedule.

Residents and business owners spoke during the public comment period with mixed views. Several speakers, including Jen Walker and others, supported hiding the tank behind fast-growing trees and using the Arts Commission palette. Others favored a more visible, branded treatment: one speaker urged a mural or sculptural elements so the tank could become a “beacon” reminding the community of past water shortages.

Arts Commission and staff cautioned that murals applied to welded steel panels would require specialized surface preparation and ongoing maintenance; staff said research suggested a mural would not be durable in this tank’s construction and location. Council members and multiple public commenters pressed two competing priorities: pick a practical, low‑maintenance coating now so construction can proceed, and budget landscaping and other visual treatments that might be added later.

Council members asked staff to pursue professional design input rather than make a final aesthetic decision themselves. At the meeting’s close on this item the council directed staff to engage the city’s identified landscape consultant or similar professional to scope landscaping and site‑treatment options and to return with cost estimates and implementation steps, rather than selecting a final color or decorative treatment immediately.

The discussion also clarified schedule and procurement limits: staff said the tank panels already have factory primer and that choosing a base color soon will help the contractor prepare the final coating on schedule; staff also said the landscaping design and fencing decision could be developed in parallel without delaying tank construction significantly.

The council and residents reiterated that the community values both durable infrastructure and thoughtful aesthetics; the council asked staff to return with consultant pricing and a refined recommendation at a future meeting so the tank’s final visual treatment could be paired with a landscaping plan and a fencing option that balances security and appearance.