Designated funding will allow City of Lawton to launch improvements at city lakes

The City of Lawton knows what it wants to do to upgrade amenities at city lakes.

And, with designated funding, city staff can proceed with those plans.

City Council members have signed off on $3 million worth of upgrades proposed for concession areas at Lake Lawtonka and Lake Ellsworth, projects that now can be funded under action they took to approve a $40 million revenue note that is allowing the city to address multiple projects already in progress or ready to start.

For city lakes, it’s $3 million worth of improvements that resulted from city staff analysis of what is there and what needs to be there. That analysis was keyed toward projects designed to improve amenities or add new areas, with an emphasis on those that can generate revenue while also addressing what city administrators call the most pressing deficiencies. And, it all ties into a lakes master plan completed by Halff Associates that has outlined amenities that could be added or improved to help make lakes more attractive to local residents, as well as a draw for those outside the region.

Many of the projects tie to School House Slough, the Lawtonka site that is the city’s largest concession area and one that is mostly under city management after long-time concessionaire Kent Waller retired Dec. 31, 2022. While the city has a new concession contract with Juan Rodriguez to operate the general store and fueling system, other amenities — boathouses, docks, storage stalls, campgrounds — are under city control, and both the master plan and city administrators have said they want to make improvements.

Mayor Stan Booker said the improvement plan fulfills the council’s promise to residents to put $3 million worth of upgrades into the lakes, adding that members of the Lakes and Land Commission already have approved the project list. Ward 4 Councilman George Gill, who serves on that advisory commission, agreed with the projects.

“This is probably the minimal we can do for this area to really help it,” he said. “It really needs to have at least this much done.”

Gill and Booker also said the city is moving toward a plan to make the lakes more self-sustaining, explaining money collected for lakes activities “stays at the lakes,” in terms of funding activities.

This round of funding is being matched with other funding plans, including the Capital Improvements Program Extension. That funding package includes $400,000 allocated to lakes to fund construction of a new lakes staff office at Lawtonka, as well as demolition of the existing office and two other deteriorating buildings, the fire-gutted store at Robinson’s Landing and the former lakes headquarters at Ellsworth.

Lakes Supervisor Jim Bonnarens outlined the projects for the council, which range from placing new dumpsters at both lakes (replacing badly deteriorating ones that date back decades) to building new dry stalls, to new sewer lift stations.

The most expensive project centers at School House Slough: Road upgrades, especially in the nearby East Campgrounds (estimated at $1.25 million) and a $650,000 project to build a parking area near the slough’s boat ramp. Bonnarens said concrete around the general store and boat ramp is badly needed.

Bonnarens also offered multiple options for the sewer lift stations. The staff recommendation is for two stations on Lawtonka — the north end of School House Slough and in the primitive camping area — but Bonnarens said the council also would weigh a proposal to install one at Ellsworth’s Fisherman’s Cove area. While the site doesn’t have a functioning store or other amenities, he said the site is a popular day use area and traffic remains heavy.

“It would make sense, if the future is to have a concession and have a full-time residential RV park,” he said, adding funding for that option is not included in the project list.

City officials have not said when work on the projects would begin.