hilltopics
culture society entertainment health
Friday, May 5, 2000
8A
Residents wary of development
Bv Mike Zielke
Special to the Kansan
Clinton Lake State Park's woods and trails may become home to a hotel development within the park's borders, and three environmental groups have been rallying local environmentalists who want to organize against it.
CB Richard Ellis Development Team of Kansas City, Moo., is planning the construc tion of a $21.8 million resort within Clinton Lake State Park. Plans for the development includes a 150-room hotel, tennis courts, swimming pools, boat slips, parking lots and a new access road.
"The development will be in a showcase area of the park called Lands End, a forested point directly across the lake from the marina, and will infringe on one of the most popular camping spots in the park," said Curtis Martell, Lawrence resident and outdoor enthusiast.
Sally Baltes, public information officer with the Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing, said that one of the reasons the state picked Ellis is because they have experience with projects in environmentally sensitive areas.
The Ellis Development team and True North Hotels—the Kansas City, Mo., firm that will manage the hotel and conference center both have extensive experience developing and operating lake-resort facilities at places such as Lake of the Ozarks.
But that hasn't assuage environmentalists. "I go to the park to hike, kayak, camp
or to just drive through and look at the leaves and the No.1 interest of the developers is to make money." Martell said.
The development plan was set in motion in 1998 when a state law was enacted to encourage developers to build resorts at 22 of the 24 state parks.
But what some see as development others see as a disaster.
A meeting in late September among the developer, Kansas Division of Wildlife and Parks and the Kansas Division of Commerce and Housing to discuss development plans was closed to the public and reporters.
"The development would eviscerate the park, destroying it in a way that no nordes of tourists on foot, bike or boat ever could," Ringler said. "Public land will be desecrated by developers bent on making money."
Ringler and his wife have worked for the last 16 years to develop a mountain bike trail that circumnavigates the lake. The trail attracts bicycle riders from Lawrence and around the state.
"The state of Kansas ranks dead last in the nation in the percentage of public land it has set aside within its borders," said Carl Ringler, president of the Kansas Trails Council for the last seven years.
Baltes said that the meeting was just a planning session and that the developer had the right to have some of the information kept private.
"There is good reason for this secrecy," Ringler said. "If the public knew about the plans, there would be controversy. The greed and stupidity involved in this development boggle the imagination."
But closing the meeting only inflamed some environmentalists.
"The developers have several obstacles to overcome before development can begin," said Chad Luce, public information officer for the Kansas Division of Wildlife and Parks.
Obstacles include securing a long-term lease with the Army Corps of Engineers, which currently owns and leases the land to the state. There are also water rights and utility issues that raise additional environmental concerns.
The developers recently completed an economic feasibility study and are in the process of completing infrastructure and environmental studies.
Plans for water use, an access road, how and where the electricity and sewage lines will be supplied for the resort would fill out a bigger picture of the kind of environmental impact a development of this magnitude would have on the Clinton Lake ecosystem.
From these plans, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Kansas Division of Wildlife
Despite obstacles, Dan Carr, co-developer for CB Richard Ellis. said the company hoped to open the resort next year.
"Don't underestimate the ability of a small group of people to make a difference," Martell said.
Resort opponents say it is not too late for the public to be heard.
and Parks will do impact studies. After the plans are accepted by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Kansas Division of Wildlife and Parks final approval must still be granted by the Kansas Legislature.
Martell has started an e-mail campaign to inspire individuals to e-mail concerns to state representatives and local officials.
"When you write a letter it shows you care," Martell said.
Ringler said he thought the land at Clinton Lake was worth more than money.
"There is an immeasurable intrinsic value public lands offer people that cannot be outweighed by the money generated by
4