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Mayor
Fred Small Dear Mayor Small, The lake in Lake Forest was built over thirty-five ago. One of its purposes, of course, was to be a marketing tool, but it mainly served as a catch basin for all of the new construction that was about to occur. Even back then, the government entities responsible for environmental issues recognized that a large construction project right next to Mobile bay could cause much damage to that ecosystem. So, the developer had to create this catch basin. At that time there was little or no construction occurring to the north, east or south of Lake Forest. The lake did its job. As construction continued, the developer periodically removed the resulting silt from the lake. That was then. Today, Lake Forest is no longer a new development. The developer stopped developing over twenty years ago. The property owners bought the amenities twenty-six years ago. For years, most of the construction that has been taking place in this area has been outside of Lake Forest. And, much of that construction has been done by the City, County and State in the form of roads, schools and recreational facilities. There have been large, new subdivisions and commercial centers built all around Lake Forest, and this community-owned lake is still serving as a catch basin for all of it. This new construction has not only continued the problem of erosion in our sandy soil area, it has compounded it. While the LFPOA has a problem with someone else’s dirt ending up in their lake, other citizens are experiencing major problems of their own in the form of serious flooding. The lake is one of the tools available to aid in controlling that flooding. We also know that in this environmentally conscious age, we are held accountable for the erosion caused by our progress. And, those held accountable are not only the developers and builders, but also local government. There are a number of opinions out there about what the LFPOA should do for that lake. Naturally, the couple of hundred homeowners who actually live around it would like for the silt to be removed. The other almost three thousand homeowners who live in Lake Forest would probably be happy if the association just made it look a little nicer. What we do will be determined by the nine members of our Board of Directors. For years our approach has been to remove the accumulation. Unfortunately, as long as no one takes responsibility for controlling the erosion upstream from the lake, it simply fills up again. The only someone who can take that kind of control is government. This is one Board member who is on record as believing that the association should not take another shovel-full of dirt out of that lake. Unless someone comes to our aid with the erosion problem, we should take another approach. For example, we could simply start a low cost maintenance program that would involve lowering the level of the lake periodically and making the accumulated dirt look nice as the lake gradually reduces in size. However, that solution does not help the problem of flooding. Nor does it address government’s responsibility to protect the environment or manage water runoff and erosion. As development has caused the undergrowth on the eastern shore to disappear, the large amount of water that we receive during our heavy storms flows unimpeded toward the lake. With the lake full of silt, that water has no place to go but backwards. Last summer Mayor Brown and public works director, Ken Eslava, came to the LFPOA Board of Directors and told us that if we would give the lake to the city, the city could then in turn acquire grants and take action to help solve some of the problems mentioned above. The LFPOA Board of Directors unanimously and wholeheartedly agreed to the proposal and passed a corporate resolution to that effect. There has never been any equivocation by any Board member whatsoever since that time in spite of what you may have heard. For whatever reason, at the time of this letter, the Daphne City Council has not chosen to accept the lake. If you would like to be able to use the lake for flood and erosion control but do not want to own it, then we will be happy to keep it and give you whatever easement you might need to do the work. If you as a City Council do not see the merit in using the lake for erosion and flood control, then we as a Board of Directors will make other plans. Frankly, I do not see why there is such a hesitation to take advantage of the proposal. The Lake Forest lake has been a very successful catch basin for years. It has proven that it works well. Everyone, I believe, agrees that it is an excellent tool for controlling the flooding problem. And goodness knows the price is right. I can only think that there is more information that you may need in order to make your decision. Our Board member, Mr. B.T. Cocke, is overseeing this project for us. Mr. Cocke is very knowledgeable of the engineering and legal factors related these problems and having worked on them for many, many years is absolutely committed to finding a solution. I am certain that B.T. will make himself available to you whenever you need. If I can be of service to you, please feel free to call me anytime. This is a problem for all of us in one form or another and we can all be a part of the solution. Let’s work together to deliver that solution. Sincerely,
Michael Davis, President – Lake Forest Property Owners Association |