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There are currently many issues and debates regarding projects and proposals in Treasure Lake, Pennsylvania, where I am from. The first issue is the management of a tavern restaurant called the Ski Lodge. This has been a staple in Treasure Lake for decades and the people are upset to see it for sale to new investors. They demand that the building be restored and operated how it originally was. the Treasure Lake Property Owners Association (TLPOA) is currently showing the building to investors and looking to make a decision on a sale in February. There has been no comment on the enforcement of how the new management will run the restaurant compared to previous years. I personally was a fan of the Ski Lodge and would like to see it run how it was in the past. It had a historic feel to it and you could sense the heritage in all of the wall art and signs.
Photo Courtesy of Trip Advisor
Also a current issue in Treasure Lake is the proposal of dredging the main lake, Treasure Lake. Dredging the lake would remove mud and seaweed from the bottom and make the lake deeper and cleaner. The proposal describes doing this in 5 coves as well as around New Providence Beach. No time frame has been established for this project due to one major reason, there is currently no funding. Director Chris Miller estimates the total cost to come in near $3 million. He even said that in his opinion it could be higher. The people of Treasure Lake would like to see this get done as it would improve the water, but have no motive to fund it. I could see this project never getting started. Treasure Lake is just in no situation to come up with $3 million, even if the money is federally borrowed or awarded through grants. This is just a project that is too big for the TLPOA at this time.
The next topic of discussion is the building of a new security office at the front gate of Treasure Lake. This would be a new building for the security personal to monitor the traffic coming into the gated area as well as respond to any calls or requests. The building currently in use was built in the mid 80’s and is in good condition. The new building is being built directly behind it and appears to be the same size and shape. The people of Treasure Lake are skeptical of whether this is an appropriate use of tax money for the area. It has been said that the old building should be moderately updated or cleaned to function more efficiently.
In my opinion the current building being used is in fine working condition and should just be slightly updated or cleaned out in the upcoming spring time. A new building is far too expensive for the TLPOA to use tax money for and not a necessity. There are far better options for the money to go to such as road improvement and beach cleanup.
The final issue surrounding Treasure Lake is the development of a new front gate system. As of now the front gate is monitored by a guard that watches incoming traffic and checks to ensure each car is a registered property owner or a requested guest. This is intended to keep the community private and relaxing for the property owners. However, a new system is being looked at by the TLPOA that would include a digital transponder for each register car of the property owners. This would digitally trigger a gate that would open up and allow traffic to enter. There has been backlash over this proposal by the property owners mainly due to the $60,000 price tag that would come along with it. They feel as though this is completely unnecessary for the community and would only cause more trouble for the people who are supposed to be there.
As for my opinion on this issue, I feel that the current security means are doing just fine, if not doing more that necessary. Treasure Lake does not have a high crime rate whatsoever, this new system would just be an overkill that would discourage any guests from coming into the community and bringing business to the beaches and restaurants. The TLPOA does not appear to realize that this would only anger and turn income from non-property owners elsewhere. This proposal should be discarded and the funding should be put into the bank and grown over time in order to save money and have an emergency fund for any future events.
Overall, Treasure Lake is attempting to make many improvements that are simply out of their league at this time. All of these projects appear nice and fancy on paper, but do not fit into the current financial situation that the community is in. More spending would discourage and drive out property owners, thus decreasing the tax income of the TLPOA.
It is great that you take such an interest in the politics of what is going on in your hometown. The issue of a community resenting the sale of a historical landmark seems to be a motif in today’s world. It is always sad to see good memories go in order for a corporation, for example, to make money. I remember a similar situation that happened where I grew up in Hawaii. Every couple of years I come back, and while some things stay the same, there are always companies trying to buy the land to develop and profit off of consumerism and tourism. I would argue that while this may stimulate the economy, there is an undeniable negative impact on the community. It is hard to see a favorite restaurant or another landmark that has been there since you were young to be replaced with a chain business or a gift shop. Could this be an age-old struggle between industry and society? I definitely agree with your conclusion that the projects proposed in Treasure Lake seem unrealistic due to limited financing. At any rate, I hope that things improve!
We came up to Treasure Lake to watch the pee wee, jv and varsity football game. The game was good but the field was atrocious. I realize we had a huge storm but you should be totally embarrassed by your field. Those poor kids were over ankle deep in water. That is not a football field, it is a football swamp. Between spiders. Bees, mosquitoes and centipeds it was awful. Evidently, you r community and adults only mean anything to you and not your children. This is only my opinion.
Maybe if the security wasn’t busy with it’s speed traps to the timeshare owners (at least 5 tickets a day the H.O.A. manager told me) people might come back once in a while. The timeshares wouldn’t be half empty and might be in better shape than their current trashed condition. The pool wouldn’t close the whole day for every 20 minutes shower. And maybe they would even have time to clean the deer carcass off the roads! As for me…never again.