The message
was crystal clear.
Storm
Kollak, speaking for a Mt. Carmel engineering firm, told the city council that
a new Lakeside Park reservoir, would significantly benefit Fairfield in its
quest to alleviate flooding in the city…..and provide additional recreational
opportunities.
The real
eye popping part of the engineering report was the estimated cost of the
Lakeside project----$450,000. That is less than half of an earlier estimate.
This engineering
study now perfectly falls in place in front of an extensive planning process by
the city where priorities will be hammered out. Obviously, the ability to solve---or
at least contain flooding---makes the study a valuable chip in seeking state and
federal grants.
So this is
possible. We have already established the interest and support of many
Fairifield citizens. Now it is up to leadership. Mayor Brent Maguire and Park
District President Jay Fyie need to meet and develop a strategy to bring back
the lake. Last week’s Park Board meeting made it abundantly clear to me that
the park would love to find a way to bring back the lake.
There is one
other consideration---Atkinson Forest. The city council needs to either include
the forest in a larger project---or make it clear that the lake is the
priority.
Maybe
there’s a deal somewhere in here to bring the private financial resources
promised for Atkinson, into an overall watershed project with the lake.
Wouldn’t
that be slick?
The lake should be rebuilt if for no other reason than to get rid of the eyesore at 7th and Darr Streets.
ReplyDeleteBut you shouldn’t assume that it will take care of the flooding on Johnson Creek. I grew up on Johnson Creek when the “rezzy” as we called it was still there. Johnson Creek was only about 2 inches deep most of the time. We would put soup cans in it then walk up the creek to scare up the minnows and crawdads. When we got to the soup cans, we would pick them up and get the crawdads that we’re hiding inside. Free fish bait.
In ‘68 or ‘69 after a hard rain, I stood in the bottom of the creek in what usually was 2 or 3 inches of water. I had to stand on my toes to keep my nose out of the water.
Rebuilding to lake will help, but it won’t eliminate the flooding problems.