In the year 2000, Commissioners of the Land Office (CLO) determined the city’s easement for the majority of 360 acres of school land along the shoreline of Shawnee Lake No.1 reverted back to the state because 28 acres had been leased as cabin sites instead of being used for the reservoir. The CLO agreed to lease the land to the city in a series of 3-year agreements and a News-Star article quoted the CLO representative as saying “The Land Office prefers a master lease with the city so that Shawnee city government will retain control of lake usage ...”
Now after 10 years, the CLO is proposing to change the terms of that lease by adding “commercial sites” to its intended use, requiring the city to lease additional lots, and stipulating that the city agree to an as-yet undeveloped plat. Is this giving the city control of lake usage?
A majority of the 28 leaseholders on this land have said they want the city to relinquish its lease so they can lease directly from the CLO, but according to Community Development Director Justin Erickson, if this happens, state rules can preempt the city’s. This could open the door for commercial development on the lake.
This land is more than just part of the watershed – it’s part of the shoreline. A publication by the Environmental Protection Agency states: “shoreline development and new construction contribute pollutants to lakes and augments erosion” and goes on to say “regulations alone cannot protect a lake; lakefront property owners can significantly affect water quality and must do their part.” While ordinances exist to protect the water, they can’t be enforced 24 hours a day and abuse may be discovered only after damage is done. This is why Oklahoma City does not allow residential development on their reservoirs and why the City Commission voted in 2007 to take a conservative approach toward new development around Shawnee Lake.
Although lake lots are technically in the city limits, they are still 12 miles from the core area. More cabin sites could create a burden on city resources, including code enforcement and police and fire protection.
While the CLO’s mission is to maximize revenue off the agricultural and commercial lands they manage, the city’s is to protect your water. They’ve been doing it for over 70 years – why ask them to give that up?
Linda Agee
Shawnee
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In the year 2000, Commissioners of the Land Office (CLO) determined the city’s easement for the majority of 360 acres of school land along the shoreline of Shawnee Lake No.1 reverted back to the state because 28 acres had been leased as cabin sites instead of being used for the reservoir. The CLO agreed to lease the land to the city in a series of 3-year agreements and a News-Star article quoted the CLO representative as saying “The Land Office prefers a master lease with the city so that Shawnee city government will retain control of lake usage ...”
Now after 10 years, the CLO is proposing to change the terms of that lease by adding “commercial sites” to its intended use, requiring the city to lease additional lots, and stipulating that the city agree to an as-yet undeveloped plat. Is this giving the city control of lake usage?
A majority of the 28 leaseholders on this land have said they want the city to relinquish its lease so they can lease directly from the CLO, but according to Community Development Director Justin Erickson, if this happens, state rules can preempt the city’s. This could open the door for commercial development on the lake.
This land is more than just part of the watershed – it’s part of the shoreline. A publication by the Environmental Protection Agency states: “shoreline development and new construction contribute pollutants to lakes and augments erosion” and goes on to say “regulations alone cannot protect a lake; lakefront property owners can significantly affect water quality and must do their part.” While ordinances exist to protect the water, they can’t be enforced 24 hours a day and abuse may be discovered only after damage is done. This is why Oklahoma City does not allow residential development on their reservoirs and why the City Commission voted in 2007 to take a conservative approach toward new development around Shawnee Lake.
Although lake lots are technically in the city limits, they are still 12 miles from the core area. More cabin sites could create a burden on city resources, including code enforcement and police and fire protection.
While the CLO’s mission is to maximize revenue off the agricultural and commercial lands they manage, the city’s is to protect your water. They’ve been doing it for over 70 years – why ask them to give that up?
Linda Agee
Shawnee
