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Old 07-04-2017, 08:19 AM
 
3,279 posts, read 5,285,742 times
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I live in the east TX area and one thing I've noticed which I've not seen in other areas and which bothers me--the number of private lakes in this area, lakes which are HUGE to where you can't miss them but that as far as I can tell are totally private. To me they're an 'attractive nuisance" especially as hot as it gets here and the way they're so "in your face" to where there's no missing them, yet seemingly every last inch of them are private. To me there should be restrictions on that. Any lake of a certain size should have a certain amount remain as public access.

I'm speaking in particular of Lake Cherokee near Lakeport outside of Longview, Lake Devernia in White Oak (although I'd perhaps exempt that one since it seems to not be THAT large) and Lake Palestine seems to be that way as well. In Big Sandy there is a lake that you cross on 80 and it comes right up to a particular small housing development or two I mean it's RIGHT there and there's not even any fencing separating it from the housing area, it's all but part of your yard, but you're not allowed to go up to the lake. I think that's wrong. Even a neighbor's pool isn't that "in your face" and they're typically required to fence it off.

A lake like Lake Cherokee as huge as that lake is, to be sure they could set aside maybe a 3% slice off in a corner somewhere, fence it in so people couldn't use this as a means to zoom into the remaining 97% with their boats, and let the locals enjoy it. For a lake that large to only be accessible by private owners 100%, to me that's greedy and it shouldn't be allowed, they should MAKE them set aside 3% or so for the enjoyment of the public at large.

To me that's not the same as saying that all pool owners should have to share their pool with the neighbors, I do understand private property and Capitalism but to me this is taking it too far. This is a lake that is a very dominant part of the landscape there to where they have to build tax payer funded bridges of considerable size to cross over it. It's like the National Forest system somewhat, yes people can buy large lots of land just for themselves but with National Forest attractions you have beautiful scenery which anybody can enjoy without having to be a millionaire.

To me something as large as Lake Cherokee, heck it's to where they all but name the AREA that name, it should be treated as a local "treasure," a small portion should be so set aside. It shouldn't be to where if you live in that area and like swimming or fishing you have no options unless you know someone who owns a house on the lake and lets you use it or else have to drive all the way to Tatum or Tyler. Set aside a small 3% portion which anybody can access, let the rest remain private.

I can understand when it's like this one place in my area where the lake isn't that large, it's well "set off" and part of a small HOA of 10 homes or so, sort of like those lakes you see at a golf course, but something as large as Lake Cherokee I think that's wrong.

I think of the ocean and the beach with respect to such things. Yes you will have much "ocean front" hotels, condos, beachfront houses and such where people who live in them pay good money to have convenience and to escape crowds of "yahoolians" at the public places and I totally understand that, HOWEVER such an ocean will also have plenty of spots for the public at large to be able to enjoy the ocean without having to pay $500,000 for a 1 bedroom condo etc. To me it should be the same here.

Thoughts?

Last edited by shyguylh; 07-04-2017 at 08:33 AM..
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Old 07-04-2017, 07:14 PM
 
Location: Wonderland
67,666 posts, read 60,168,407 times
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Lake Palestine is huge and is not private at all - though of course there are some private boat launches. There are numerous marinas and boat launches though on Lake Palestine that are public. We use various ones there all the time.

Lake Cherokee is not a large lake - it is not even 4000 surface acres. It's smaller than Lake Tyler in fact, and Lake Tyler is not a large lake (though it is a public lake). But there are numerous public lakes in this area.

Here is a list of the public lakes in East Texas as well as their sizes. Surely you can find a lake to play on.
East Texas lakes, list of lakes, lake sizes in acres, Lake Tyler, Lake Palestine, Lake Fork, Lake Columbia
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Old 07-05-2017, 10:35 AM
 
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That list is helpful and appreciated. When I've checked out Lake Palestine it's been in the Flint and Noonday area and I couldn't find any public access there at all. There's a bridge crossing it and it takes you a good whole minute to cross and yet I saw no public access there anywhere. I'd hate to think you'd be that close to it yet have to drive 20-30 miles to find access when there are tons of shoreline right there.

Martin Creek interests me in that it mentions the water temperatures being elevated during the winter months. Maybe swimming could occur there later into November or even early December when the others are now too cold? I doubt it's like Barton Springs in Austin in terms of being able to swim year round but maybe there is still a longer swimming season?
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Old 07-06-2017, 07:34 AM
 
Location: Wonderland
67,666 posts, read 60,168,407 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shyguylh View Post
That list is helpful and appreciated. When I've checked out Lake Palestine it's been in the Flint and Noonday area and I couldn't find any public access there at all. There's a bridge crossing it and it takes you a good whole minute to cross and yet I saw no public access there anywhere. I'd hate to think you'd be that close to it yet have to drive 20-30 miles to find access when there are tons of shoreline right there.

Martin Creek interests me in that it mentions the water temperatures being elevated during the winter months. Maybe swimming could occur there later into November or even early December when the others are now too cold? I doubt it's like Barton Springs in Austin in terms of being able to swim year round but maybe there is still a longer swimming season?
I have no idea about swimming in Martin Creek. Yes, the water is warm. Personally I don't care for it but that's just me.

Here's a list of public boat ramps on Lake Palestine - there are at least 18.

Lake Palestine Access
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:12 AM
 
Location: Tyler, Texas
13 posts, read 32,101 times
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The city of Tyler owns quite a bit of lake front property at Lake Bellwood. With the eventual plan of extending Earl Campbell near the lake it would be perfect to create a lake front park between Earl Campbell and Lake Bellwood with a trail, picnic benches, grilling pits, etc. Maybe it will help clean up the area from the criminal activity I have heard goes on there.


I agree for the size of Lake Palestine I'm surprised it's mostly residential and the only way to really access it is through boat launches that there are very few if any parks such as the one on Lake Tyler. I too have searched for public access areas to enjoy relaxing and photography of a beautiful lake at Lake Palestine. Thank you for the links which I too will check out.
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Old 07-06-2017, 02:17 PM
 
3,028 posts, read 5,038,139 times
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About ten years ago, a little less maybe, there were specific plans talked about on planning and zoning and in city council meetings about a "city access park" on the north side of Bellwood Lake.

A private developer was to extend Earl Campbell to near the lake to enable him, the developer to build a high rise of some sort, condo's to rent, I could dig back thru google for all this, I suppose, but none of this happened because of the near collapse of the national and local economy during that time.

Anyway, the developer was to set aside part of or next to his property and area for waterfront public use, for swimming picnics, you know a park.

This was also during the time all the land to the north of Bellwood Lake along the west side of the loop all the way to the railroad tracks on the loop, was being "set" for development, town centers, five high rise buildings being part of a major hotel with large conference center attached. The condo, rentals I think, were to be narrow, smaller but range from 16 to 22 stories. This all would have really changed the "FOOT PRINT" of Tyler as several on city council called it, oh, objecting to the "height" during planning and zoning meetings.

Oh well, when the financing for all this "dried up" that was that, just a "wish" or dream, sorta, now back in history, lol
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Old 07-06-2017, 10:23 PM
 
563 posts, read 382,151 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Senior View Post
About ten years ago, a little less maybe, there were specific plans talked about on planning and zoning and in city council meetings about a "city access park" on the north side of Bellwood Lake.

A private developer was to extend Earl Campbell to near the lake to enable him, the developer to build a high rise of some sort, condo's to rent, I could dig back thru google for all this, I suppose, but none of this happened because of the near collapse of the national and local economy during that time.

Anyway, the developer was to set aside part of or next to his property and area for waterfront public use, for swimming picnics, you know a park.

This was also during the time all the land to the north of Bellwood Lake along the west side of the loop all the way to the railroad tracks on the loop, was being "set" for development, town centers, five high rise buildings being part of a major hotel with large conference center attached. The condo, rentals I think, were to be narrow, smaller but range from 16 to 22 stories. This all would have really changed the "FOOT PRINT" of Tyler as several on city council called it, oh, objecting to the "height" during planning and zoning meetings.

Oh well, when the financing for all this "dried up" that was that, just a "wish" or dream, sorta, now back in history, lol
I have the newspaper on Bellwood Lake Resorts. In the newspaper it said 1 20 story condo with a conference center shared with a 4 star 7 story hotel. It was also supposed to be an outdoor mall and town homes built on the property. Earl Campbell Pkwy which was originally New Sunnybrook Dr. was to extend all the way to Hwy 31. The recession cause Tyler to lose a lot of things that would have benefited Tyler. If those things would have come to fruition it would have helped out the West side of Tyler and spilled onto the North side also.
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Old 07-06-2017, 10:30 PM
 
563 posts, read 382,151 times
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https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...ZIpIscUvahXZvw
On this it says multiple condo's.
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Old 07-07-2017, 09:49 AM
 
3,028 posts, read 5,038,139 times
Reputation: 1910
I knew something was probably still "out there"

I was interested enough in the development that I went to the Planning and Zoning Office to look at the actual proposed plans of the developer and the ACCEPTED plans of the city.

I had seen at the planning meeting on the cable where the city had restricted the height, the number of stories of the proposed project to I think 150 feet high. Anyway I discovered the city has a stupid requirement that you can't build more than X feet high OUTSIDE of downtown. So the proposed project showed I THINK five different buildings ranging from maybe 16 to 22 stories. As I said I saw the proposed buildings which were NOT bunched side by side but scattered nicely across the acreage. The city chopped them all down to one conforming height making them look like NY tenement housing, lol

The city does not realize they would have CHOPPED off thousands of dollars of tax revenue as well, by reducing the entire project by maybe 15-20 stories. Oh well, it all flopped anyway, lol
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Old 07-07-2017, 05:14 PM
 
563 posts, read 382,151 times
Reputation: 88
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Senior View Post
I knew something was probably still "out there"

I was interested enough in the development that I went to the Planning and Zoning Office to look at the actual proposed plans of the developer and the ACCEPTED plans of the city.

I had seen at the planning meeting on the cable where the city had restricted the height, the number of stories of the proposed project to I think 150 feet high. Anyway I discovered the city has a stupid requirement that you can't build more than X feet high OUTSIDE of downtown. So the proposed project showed I THINK five different buildings ranging from maybe 16 to 22 stories. As I said I saw the proposed buildings which were NOT bunched side by side but scattered nicely across the acreage. The city chopped them all down to one conforming height making them look like NY tenement housing, lol

The city does not realize they would have CHOPPED off thousands of dollars of tax revenue as well, by reducing the entire project by maybe 15-20 stories. Oh well, it all flopped anyway, lol
I don't think it flopped. The banks were not lending money out. You can't get pass go if you don't have the financial backing.
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