Randy Young, TLIA President
Every day when you look around Tower Lakes you can find great examples of our natural environment — the lake — being the best example.
Our environment is precious and our lake is fragile. It is great example of how we as a community care for our resources. It’s also why we have rules and regulations on lakeshore management.
Recently we’ve had presentations to the Board from lakeshore owners about potential shoreline improvements on their property. One owner has designed and plans to install an incredible rain garden to improve the storm water drainage across their property. Another is installing a boulder barrier to stem erosion and create aeration at their shoreline. Different as these proposals are, what is common between them is that the property owners followed the rules outlined by TLIA for shoreline improvement and presented their plans to the Board for approval prior to construction. Those rules are posted at TLIA.org in the public documents section of the website.
The regulations state that no improvement “shall be installed, constructed or replaced on the shoreline without the express prior written approval of the TLIA Board.” After presentation, both of these homeowners received approval. Unfortunately, not everyone has sought the Board’s approval.
These rules are in place to protect our lake and the shoreline from unnecessary and potentially harmful alteration. The approval process allows TLIA to help everyone avoid potential issues related to erosion, wildlife, stormwater management, water quality, and pollution. We have expert knowledge on all these issues and are ready to help each homeowner with their development plans.
We have worked hard over several years, spent hundreds of thousands of our dollars to protect, develop, and keep our lake a shining example of water quality management. We must continue this course if we are to protect our most important asset. It’s a valuable investment that must be made by everyone to assure and improve the quality and value of our neighborhood.
Please, if you are a lakeshore owner and are thinking of shoreline development, it is a requirement that you consult with the Lake Committee and the TLIA Board first. The presentation process is easy; just tell us what you have in mind. We will listen, review the plan, and together with you, work to assure that the plan is successful for you, the lake, and the entire community. If you have questions contact anyone on the Board or Lake Committee.