Don Marshall believes residents should form a consortium to acquire Walden Lake.
The out-of-town land speculators, who gambled on a land development scheme within Walden Lake that would have destroyed the essence of the Walden Lake community, have come up “snake eyes” — thank goodness. Their visions of a windfall, from the sweat equity of many, are now nothing but a mirage. Today, the 350-plus acres now sit in receivership with Today’s Bank of Little Rock, Arkansas — now what?
The time has now come for the many talented men and women of Plant City, in government, in civic associations, in academia and in business, to come together to build a meaningful solution — not just for the residents of Walden Lake, but for all the residents of Plant City. I can see a government, civic and private partnership — a consortium — that could very well become a model for other municipalities facing similar challenges across the country. I am submitting these specific ideas to the Mayor and commissioners of Plant City, WLCA and other interested business interests.
The 350 acres of green space that surround our homes is very much our “community center.” In fact, I would say it has the potential to impact beyond Walden, and even beyond the City of Plant City. Without going into detail here, if this “consortium” thinks outside the box and acts without haste, this land could become a city asset that pays many dividends.
I encourage others to come forward. More important than money is that we now act together to make Plant City even greater!
Don Marshall
