Lakewood Considers $300,000 for ‘Lakefront Improvement’ Plan

The city of Lakewood is looking to spend $300,000 on “lakefront improvements” at Lakewood Park.

But don’t break out your swimming trunks or your fishing pole just yet. The plans aren’t likely to include a public beach or a pier.

City council will first decide whether to spend $25,000 on a design study to find out how to get the most out of $300,000.

City officials said they’d like to focus on improving the western edge of the waterfront at Lakewood Park. But other details of the proposal may have to wait for the results of a design study.

In 2010, city council adopted the Lakewood Park System Plan to outline a strategy of “continuous and coordinated improvement to our parks and open space.”

“One of these goals is to enhance the availability of usable space near the waterfront at Lakewood Park,” at-large councilman Brian Powers co-wrote to his colleagues on council.

“Though significant improvements were made in recent years with the additional of the promenade, the western portion of the lakefront is yet incomplete.”

Originally, the idea was to include elements — such as a pier and development of better water access — but land acquisition and funding have made that idea “not feasible at this time.”

The $300,00 in earmarked bonds for the waterfront improvement (10 years ago) cannot be used for other purposes — or in other parks.

“We have funds remaining from general bond proceeds, specific for waterfront improvements at Lakewood Park,” said Dru Siley, the city’s director of planning and development. “We think we can do a fair amount of work for $300,000,” 

“I think we do these designs so it doesn’t limit our options in the future.”

Council is expected to vote on the measure at a meeting next month.