HOW WE SEE IT

Changing ‘Classic’ Lake Atalanta Full Of Challenges

Let’s talk films for a minute.

“Psycho,” for example, was a film classic. Of course someone who thought it was a good idea to remake Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller eventually came along. The second version, naturally, could be described with a phrase borrowed from “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”: Stink, stank, stunk. It is a perilous thing to take on the challenge of “improving” something beloved, as that original movie had become among film-watchers.

Now, hold on. We’re taking a dramatic turn from one classic to another. Let’s talk Rogers’ Lake Atalanta now.

The lake and its surroundings hold a special place in the hearts of people who have called Rogers home for decades. Longtime residents remember special moments when it was the gathering spot, with its swimming pool, restaurant, skating rink, miniature golf, fishing, picnic areas all surrounding by park land. It was a special place.

But in more recent years, growth trends in Rogers have drawn attention elsewhere. City leaders, following the lead of Mayor Greg Hines, recognize Lake Atalanta is a place with great potential for the future of the city and its residents. The question facing him and others is, how to tap into that potential for a 21st century population.

With extra adjacent land acquired and several million dollars in bond money available, thanks to Rogers voters, the city is hard at work on a development plan. Hines last May gave voice to the challenges of reshaping the treasured park.

“There is a lot of history at Lake Atalanta, and a lot of people are concerned about what the city plans to do with the property,” Hines said. He’s also stressed two goals for the plan: Keeping the park in a “natural” state and improving its connection to downtown.

It has chagrined some residents, however, that Hines’ appointments to a committee planning renovations for Lake Atalanta is composed mostly of city staff and representatives from the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce. Led by a retired Rogers teacher, the dozen or so folks say they’re concerned the committee’s make-up is missing people who appreciate the natural and cultural resources of Lake Atalanta.

“We want to ensure there are places in the park area that are left undisturbed, in a natural state. We support the bike trails that may be added to the park area, but we also think too many bike trails would erode the natural features of the area,” ex-teacher Grimsley Graham said.

Hines stresses Graham and others not empowered to formulate the renovation plan can speak up at two public input sessions, one set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at Embassy Suites and a second at 5 p.m. at City Hall. But that’s a far cry from actually being engaged in developing the plan.

It is troublesome that Hines’ committee is lacking regular city residents. One never knows what creative, imaginative, affordable ideas might come from a good mix of people. Inclusion of a broad cross-section of reasonable residents would produce a far more defensible plan for beloved Lake Atalanta, but that assumes Hines’ group will be off the mark. Nobody can assume that.

Time will tell whether Mayor Hines’ committee remake of a classic becomes a blockbuster or not.

Opinion, Pages 5 on 12/09/2013

Upcoming Events