I walked into The Rabbit’s Lair the other day and was greeted by the doyenne of downtown who inquired: “What do you think about Lake Atalanta road?”
Clarice Moore, a Rogers fixture for more years than I am guessing she would care to admit, is, to me, kind of the Godmother. She is a well-respected successful businesswoman who has spent a lot of years trying to make Rogers all it can be. When Clarice talks, people listen.
So, I gave her an answer.
“Darned if I know.”
We chatted a bit, before I went off to buy fabric. She, too, was unsure whether the road should be closed to vehicular traffic.
I told her I could see good reasons for it, but I hated to think I would no longer be able to drive around to enjoy the natural beauty of the lake. It is a place I often take job applicants so they can see what we offer — and it is downtown.
Walking an applicant around the lake seems unlikely — I mean physical fitness isn’t a part of the job description.
I told Clarice I had had a dream about Lake Atalanta, that it would be developed into something special. I wanted to see something like Discovery Green in Houston where there are two restaurants, a satellite library, a couple of water features and beautiful green space.
And there could be another feature, maybe a botanical garden, or something else involving nature, and a meeting place. My idea was to locate a restaurant on the east side of the lake so you could look across and see the sun set.
It appears none of that is going to happen. Instead, it looks as if it is going to be a hiker/biker’s paradise. I’m just guessing, but I probably won’t be visiting the lake much since neither are of interest to me.
Anyway, the next big hullabaloo about Lake Atalanta renovation is whether to close the road. The first of two public meetings was held this week. City officials said publicly they expected the discussions to be contentious.
Apparently, the road is a lightning rod. I’m not sure I know why. The renovation plans have raised questions from some. The concerns are mostly about the impact of development on the lake’s ecology.
At this point, city officials are considering these options for the road:
- Keep the dirt road open, and build a boardwalk along the shoreline and a concrete trail.
- Pave the road and build a boardwalk along the shoreline.
- Close the road and use it as trail.
- Build a 15-foot-wide paved trail that could be used as a road for vehicles in an emergency.
I like the idea of a boardwalk around the circumference of the lake. They seem to be discussing one that would go part way around, but, I ask, what good is that? If I want to walk around the lake, I want to walk around the lake.
Of this I am sure: if the road is kept open, it must be improved. I’m not sure that means paving, but it does mean keeping it in good shape, something that has been lacking for many years.
Folks who attended Tuesday’s meeting favored leaving the road open, but were split on whether to pave it. They said older people who want to fish would be hampered from enjoying some portions of the lake.
One person advocated improving the road, lining the pavement to separate motorized vehicles from bikes and walkers.
Others objected, saying it would be dangerous to have vehicles and people mingling on the road. I find that hard to accept because it has been going on forever and I don’t recall any collisions, but I understand the concern.
Some 30 people attended the first session, which may not sound like many, but believe me, it is a great turnout and reflects serious interest in Lake Atalanta and its future. City officials need to keep that in mind as they move forward, and I don’t mean just about the future of the road.
If you feel strongly one way or the other, a second meeting about the future of the road is scheduled at 5 p.m. Feb. 25 at City Hall.
LEEANNA WALKER IS LOCAL EDITOR OF THE ROGERS MORNING NEWS AND THE SPRINGDALE MORNING NEWS. FOLLOW HER ON TWITTER AT WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWALEEANNA