By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
The Piedmont comprehensive plan for land use and infrastructure needs for the generations to come lacks something big, a resident said.
“Where is the lake?” he asked.
Piedmont city officials discussed the issues facing Piedmont through the year 2060 at a town hall meeting Thursday, Sept. 28 at the Piedmont Area Veterans Association meeting room.
About 30 people showed up to hear presentations about land use, water system issues, the projection for growth and sewer issues.
A man who did not want to give his name, said he thinks the city should build a lake.
A lake could have cabins, bring tourism and supply the city with water for future generations.
The idea did not seem too far-fetched after hearing the reports of future growth.
Piedmont’s population remains under 10,000, and the water supply depends on Oklahoma City’s supply.
There are not adequate sources of water from aquifers in central and western Oklahoma, residents were told, and Oklahoma City has the ability to pipeline better quality water from southeast Oklahoma to the Bluff Creek treatment plant near Lake Hefner, not too far away for Piedmont to purchase.
“I would like to see them (Piedmont) have a lake,” the resident said. “I’d like to see them have a big lake you know a deep one that they could pull water from and use it to supply water to the city and also as a recreational lake to have cabins and places there where they can be rented out. Maybe it will bring people in to buy groceries and while they are there they might decide they would eat supper before they go back,” he said.
Asked what part of the Piedmont city limits would be a good place for a lake, he said, “I don’t know.”
On other topics, annexation of land to the west was discussed. Would people living west of Piedmont want to be annexed? Industrial growth could happen in that area. Zoning issues were also covered at the meeting.
Rob Jones, Piedmont’s city council member for Ward 3, said roads are a top concern.
People who attended the meeting were given five pennies when they walked in the door. There were jars on a table with labels that said, sports complex, central business district, agricultural/recreation/community center, water infrastructure, other city services such as police and fire, parks, and roads.
Jones said he is concerned about being prepared for the future, and roads and infrastructure comes first.
“Some day I would like to see us have a nice sports complex here. But the main thing for me right now is that we need to prepare for the influx of citizens who are going to move here over the next five to seven years. We have a lot of people who are going to move here and we need to be ready for them,” Jones said.
The town hall meeting Thursday was the second one hosted by the city.
A team from SRB LLC, an engineering, surveying and planning firm, has worked on the Piedmont 2040 comprehensive plan update.
“Every good city, every good project needs a road map. If you don’t have one your city is going to grow and it is going to grow without any thought to it,” said SRB’s project manager Dakota Desai
Scott Fairbairn, deputy project manager for SRB said, “You have an opportunity to develop your community as you would like for it to be over the next 15 to 20 years. There’s nothing stopping you from developing your community the way you want it to be.”
Read the Piedmont-Surrey Gazette and follow piedmontnewsonline.com
