Letter: Capes Dam & Park, A Win-Win For The East Side

Dear Mayor and Council,

I wanted to thank the council for taking the time to discuss Capes Dam in your upcoming Thursday meeting.

As you all know, I have been involved in trying to preserve Capes Dam and the habitat that was created from such a structure for five years now.

I did not get involved until after the vote to remove the dam. At that time, the citizens got involved and fought to reverse that decision.

There was a vast amount of information that was not given to the council when this project was originally brought to them, and past council members have acknowledged it.

Then parking became a topic of concern. If we have a beautiful park, where would people park? The county listened to your concerns and came up with a great plan and is willing to pay for a large portion of this project.

The citizens on the east side should have this. A lot of good has come from Capes Dam discussions. Who would have thought that a discussion would be on the table to double our park space on the east side of IH-35?

Without Capes Dam, you won’t have the Mill Race or the three great swimming holes. Why not allow the county to continue to have more discussions on rebuilding Capes Dam that is appropriate for the habitat and historical perspective? By doing both, the citizens win!

It would create a safe place to swim and a way to navigate around the swift waters that are on the right channel. It’s truly is a win-win.

I respectfully request that council save the funding you have budgeted for Capes Dam on more reports. Allow the City Manager’s office to continue to work with the county to develop the plan to rebuild Capes Dam & Capes Park.

This plan will allow the county to move forward with the appropriate studies for the specific project.

The funds you have left would be better spent on better ADA access and bank stabilization, which we all know needs to happen.

Thank you for taking the time to listen, and let’s give citizens on the east side a park they will always be grateful for generations to come.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,
Brian Olson