Collier’s Landing under renovation

Nothing beats a day at the lake.

Lawton’s Parks and Recreation department is closing Collier’s Landing at Lake Ellsworth for three weeks to make repairs that will make days at the lake a better experience for visitors.

Renovations at Collier’s Landing are a collaborative effort between the City of Lawton and Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The City of Lawton received a matching grant from Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to help repair the landing. The project is prioritizing accessibility in the building of a new road and a new Americans with Disabilities Act regulated boat dock.

The new dock is expected to be at Collier’s Landing by the end of July or early August if weather permits. This is the second ADA regulated boat dock that will be placed at Lake Ellsworth with the first one being placed in Ralph’s Resort a few years ago.

“It’ll be a big asset to the community,” said Jim Bonnarens, City of Lawton Lakes Superintendent.

The crew at Collier’s Landing started the renovations on Saturday, beginning with the pouring of a new ADA regulated parking stall. The stall will make accessing the water and the new boat ramp easier. The parking stall is currently placed next to the boat ramp at Collier’s Landing and will connect the mainland to the new boat dock.

On Tuesday, city crews used an excavator to begin stripping away the road leading into Collier’s Landing. The plan for the road is to widen it to make accessing the landing easier. Bonnarens said that prior to these changes, only one car could drive on the road at a time.

“Widening the road will allow two cars to go down the road at the same time. Before, there was barely room for one,” said Bonnarens.

The parking lot at Collier’s Landing could also use some attention, so crews are evening out the south-leaning parking lot, so cars won’t be parking on a hill. Crews will drop parts of the parking lot until it evens out and put gravel in the spots that need it.

Once the road is widened and the parking lot balanced, crews will begin to put asphalt on the road and parking lot, making the area more accessible.

According to Bonnarens, the project is going to cost around $70,000 for the City of Lawton and $130,000 for the dock. The grant provided by Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation will be matched and given to the city to pay for Collier’s Landing and will give the City $40,000 back in funds to use on future projects.

“It’s a win-win,” said Bonnarens, “as long as the community gets use from it.”