Wednesday, February 26, 2014
ROGERS — The majority of those attending a meeting Tuesday at City Hall voted to keep the road around Lake Atalanta open and paved.
About 50 area residents attended the second meeting regarding whether to keep the road open, a greater number than attended the first meeting two weeks ago, although the feeling was the same.
At A Glance
Road Options
There are four options for the road around Lake Atalanta:
Keep the 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 a trail
Build a 15-foot-wide paved trail that could be used as a road for emergency vehicles
Source: Staff Report
Tim Cox, who said he has been in Rogers since 1967, said there is a rich history about the lake, built by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s.
"The lake has been an important part of Rogers for many years and a lot of residents have fond memories of the lake in the 1950s and 1960s," Cox said.
Cox said he wants to keep the road open but wants to keep it a gravel road because he is concerned if it's a paved road people will speed around the lake and it would be dangerous for walkers and bike riders.
"Older people can't walk around the lake but if the road were open they could still drive around the lake," Cox said.
He also said he doesn't want any mountain bike trails anywhere near the lake.
Margaret Tull, who lives at Lake Atalanta, said she would like to see the road closed, at least from dusk until dawn.
"I don't sleep well at night. There are cars driving around the lake at 1 a.m. through 4 a.m. and I don't think they are there for the beauty of the lake. I may be the only one here that wants the road closed but I think it would reduce what I think is criminal activity at the lake," Tull said.
Julie Wait Fryauf said she also wanted the road closed.
"I think it should be a paved trail rather than a road," Fryauf said. "We use the lake a lot and the fishermen I've seen usually fish down by the dam or the south end of the lake. I think they should be able to walk from the parking lot to either of those places."
"I think a paved trail around the lake could be our Crystal Bridges trail and would help bring more people downtown," Fryauf added.
Don Park didn't agree with Fryauf about fishermen.
"I fish at the lake about three times a week. Many of us who fish at the lake would not be able to carry our tackle box, chair and rods to the lake if the road was closed. It would be like tearing up our fishing license then we would just sit at home with a TV remote in our hands," Park said.
Park said a trail around the lake would probably create a litter problem.
Jim Elkins, a Rogers resident who has lived near Lake Atalanta for 40 years, said he wants the road kept open.
"The city has spent money for an aquatic center, sports park for younger people. Lake Atalanta should be left as pristine as possible for those of us who enjoy the lake as it is," Elkins said.
NW News on 02/26/2014