Monday, January 12, 2009
Access to the Lakes
Tonight's City Council meeting kicks off what could be one of the most devisive issues in Lakewood's history thus far: how to improve access to our lakes. There have been all sorts of forums on the question. Tonight, the council starts a process in which we can demonstrate the strength of public participation and democracy ... but also a process that will almost certainly lead to bitter divisions between property owners and other citizens and lead to lawsuits.
Are the lakes and lake access an important enough subject for all this? Yes. As I have posted before, we owe everyone a decision.
There's been an extensive study process so far. You can read primary sources at http://www.cityoflakewood.us/news-and-events/466-lakefront-street-ends-update.html Now with the council directly involved, the street ends' land will be studied and studied and debated and studied and 'hearing-ed' and studied some more. I hope no one comes tonight thinking any collective decisions have been made. This council should be a long way from making decisions. You can make arguments to do a lot, and you can make arguments to do a little. And one thing we learned in the public process was that each of the street ends' parcels and properties around it are very different. All the properties and surrounding parcels have in common is that they touch water.
And to explain that context best ... I've posted on this issue before, but for now, I commend you to this section of the staff report on the web page just mentioned, written by one of the city's executives, Jeff Brewster. I don't know if this passage says it all, but it sure says a lot.
Forward this post
Are the lakes and lake access an important enough subject for all this? Yes. As I have posted before, we owe everyone a decision.
There's been an extensive study process so far. You can read primary sources at http://www.cityoflakewood.us/news-and-events/466-lakefront-street-ends-update.html Now with the council directly involved, the street ends' land will be studied and studied and debated and studied and 'hearing-ed' and studied some more. I hope no one comes tonight thinking any collective decisions have been made. This council should be a long way from making decisions. You can make arguments to do a lot, and you can make arguments to do a little. And one thing we learned in the public process was that each of the street ends' parcels and properties around it are very different. All the properties and surrounding parcels have in common is that they touch water.
And to explain that context best ... I've posted on this issue before, but for now, I commend you to this section of the staff report on the web page just mentioned, written by one of the city's executives, Jeff Brewster. I don't know if this passage says it all, but it sure says a lot.
