To the editor:

Many members of the community desired to convert the property that housed three motels on Lake Flower into a continuation of park land along the lake shore. We are now watching a new multi-million-dollar investment being made on that site, which will draw many additional guests to our village.

The recent award of millions of dollars to make improvements and attractions to our village adds to the energy and success in moving our village forward. The recent article regarding the River Walk implied two possible alternative routes, both of which I find out of character with creating a grand River Walk, which was the goal of promoting our river corridor.

So here’s food for thought: What if, rather than further develop park space around Lake Flower, the village purchased the Dew Drop Inn site and remove the structure and convert the space into a pocket pedestrian park with the River Walk running through it and then directly crossing the road and continuing on the existing section of River Walk.

The community’s new green space along the river would help to pull visitors into the core of the village to picnic, sit and enjoy the river, and venture along Main Street. The key is to have the River Walk aligned with the river, not up an alley or along a street’s sidewalk. Think of the ultimate value to the community if the previous Dew Drop Inn, now a dilapidated old building shell along the river in the center of our village was converted into a green public space alongside the river.

I hope consideration can be given to a longer view of developing the River Walk into a true visitor draw into the business district of the village.

Sincerely,

Bill Plumb

Saranac Lake