At last week’s city council meeting, Councilor Randy Erdman raised a couple of issues that should spark the interest of almost everyone in Albert Lea. He entered a resolution asking the council to support the right of our citizens to vote on a local option sales tax of a half percent which would be devoted exclusively to improving our lakes. Following this, he informed the council that he would like the city staff to look into the possibility of locating a marina on the lake where boaters could tie up their boats, obtain snacks, and gas up their boats.

Our city lakes belong to all of our people; even those who do not live on the lakes. Many Albert Leans like to launch their boats for an afternoon of fun with their families. Our lakes also attract visitors from outside the community and could be much better managed as tourist attractions. Just imagine the following:

Families who do not own their own boat can spend a nice summer day on the lakes in their rented canoe, Wave Runner, sailboat or paddle boat. While some of the family is boating, the others are over at the city beach. Here they sun in the sand, splash in the clean water, dive off the raft and prepare their picnic lunch. Of course, cold sodas and other treats are available at the concession stand at the beach. Later in the day, they may decide to boat over to the marina for dinner and perhaps enjoy a beautiful sunset on the deck.

Some of our enthusiasts will enjoy fishing, others water skiing and still others will be content to simply follow the shoreline waving at friends and enjoying the scenery. We don’t want to forget those who have come to town to watch the Bayside Skiers perform or those who are attending family or company picnics at Edgewater or Fountain Lake parks. Of course, we will have suitable dock space for them to tie up their boats at these parks. If they need fuel, they may need to motor over to the marina. We have decided that the marina needs to offer motor fuel for two reasons. First of all, it is a user-friendly service to offer residents and visitors. Secondly, a professional fueling station is preferable to having gasoline hauled down to the boats in cans and large amounts of it spilled into the lakes during fueling. It also reduces stored fuel in garages and sheds that might be a fire hazard.

Albert Lea is a golfers’ town and our golf courses both offer wonderful restaurants for members, non-members, guests and out-of-town visitors. The docks near the clubhouses allow both golfers and those seeking fine dining to travel there by water. Each of the clubs also offers take-out meals that can be ordered by cell phone and delivered to the boats via car hops in golf carts. Doesn’t this just make sense? Any town with our beautiful lakes would be foolish not to take maximum advantage of such wonderful lakes.

One of the newer developments that has recently taken place in Albert Lea followed the demolition of the Wilson/Farmland site. The entire site has been transformed into a wonderful parkland. Open air concerts are held there, athletic fields have been developed in certain areas and every day another business begins plans to open up a shop on the newly developed river walk between Fountain and Albert Lea lakes. Our city’s creative juices and unstoppable local initiative have finally completed the lock and dam which allows watercraft to transit back and forth between the two lakes.

The opening of the waterway between the lakes has transformed the community and the lake system. The lakes not only offer access to a developed urban lake with all that it offers; the channel between the lakes also allows easy access to the newly developed parkland and the planned marina/hotel/convention center on Albert Lea Lake. Those more in tune with nature will appreciate the wonders afforded by the main lake and north arm of the lake which fall entirely within the game refuge and offer quite waters teeming with wildlife. Visitors staying at the state park will appreciate the amenities offered to them at the new marina on the west bay.

At the end of this dream, I am forced back to reality and must sadly acknowledge that this could never happen in a town like Albert Lea. Or could it?

Tony Trow is an Albert Lea resident and president of Destination: Albert Lea. His column appears Mondays.