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Vicki Campbell wants more recreational opportunities that complement what Lake Lawtonka already offers, without detracting from the natural beauty of the area.
Saralyn Jameson wouldn’t mind seeing more horse-riding trails around Lake Ellsworth, expanding what already is a popular outdoor activity.
Nobody is interested in commercial developments that could add things such as restaurants and hotels.
The women were among the lake users who attended a public meeting set by Halff Associates, which is working to craft a master plan to guide development at lakes Lawtonka and Ellsworth. While the lakes are Lawton’s primary water sources, they also offer an array of recreation activities ranging from fishing and boating, to hunting and hiking. Halff’s goal is to highlight what the City of Lawton could do to expand what it already offers, guiding development in a manner that best preserves the natural setting while giving the city an idea of what it could cost.
What the city wants is help in making the lakes more attractive to visitors, while setting fees that pay for amenities and maintenance.
Nate Clair, Halff’s project manager, said the process is nearing the design phase. Monday’s goal was to solicit input from residents so designers have an idea of exactly what the people who use the lake want to see. The meeting was well-attended, but many residents were boathouse or RV owners who are concerned about exactly what is going on, discussions about raising their user fees, and the potential of losing their sites. Clair and Deputy City Manager Dewayne Burk said Monday’s session wasn’t crafted for complaints from those recreational users; rather, it was intended as an information-gathering session.
To aid the process, Halff crafted design boards that highlighted suggestions for recreation, visiting the lake area, accessing commercial areas, and public services. Residents voted for their favorite ideas with sticky dots: green indicated they like the idea; red, opposition. The recreational proposals were an array of colors, with strong support for ideas such as increased hiking and biking trails, shoreline and lakeside fishing, picnic areas, and canoeing/kayaking. Feelings were equally strong on the commercial side, with residents firmly against (evidenced by almost solid red dots) ideas such as a restaurant, lodge, golf, spa and glamping.
Campbell wasn’t surprised. She said her family has been active lake users since 1997, and while she wants improvements such as more hiking trails, she isn’t interested in anything that would mean building a structure because that will impact the habitat surrounding the lakes. She said nature is the reason people go to the lakes, so any amenities the city adds should provide a way to enjoy nature without encroaching on it. That’s why a split over food service made sense: food trucks were popular; a restaurant was not.
“A solid building take space,” Campbell said, explaining that space then wouldn’t be available for wildlife and natural habitat.
Peterson also is a proponent of natural habitat, as is Phyllis Dragus, both dedicated horseback riders and members of Oklahoma Equestrian Trail Riders Association. Peterson is the local representative, and she said a dedicated — and popular — trail already at Lake Ellsworth brings in riders from across the area. She said the group has a variety of people, and more riding trails in the picturesque Ellsworth area would be heavily used.
“Let’s not forget the heritage of the horse,” she said, of a popular outdoor activity that could benefit from additional trails around both lakes.
Residents threw out other ideas that were a conglomerate of proposals offered by Halff, to include a pier where residents could rent canoes, pontoons and kayaks; youth play areas; and, an idea popular with campers, bathrooms and shower. More amenities could entice more visitors, several said.
“We’re missing a big opportunity to make money to make them self-sufficient,” said one man.
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