It's Countdown Tuesday! 49 days till November 3rd ...
Dear Neighbors,
Wow! It is hard to believe we are less than 50 days away from getting our lake back November 3rd! Today's update shares the latest campaign video, and makes the case for why this plan is a good one for lakefront property owners. We gained another prestigious endorsement, and we'll have some reminders of things coming up.... lots of good stuff happening!
New Campaign Video
We dropped the next in the series of Campaign Videos today, which focuses on the engineering choices imbedded in the plan to Restore Lake Dunlap. See the video here!
Why Should I Vote For This?
Folks, this is the ONLY plan that is under consideration anywhere that will refill our lake. It is a cost-effective, timely, and viable plan that will fix the dam, keep it maintained so it never fails again, and includes stop logs so we can easily fix it safely and quickly even if it does break, without the need to dewater the lake. (For more on Stop Logs, see the video above.)
When the three propositions pass, we will have the WCID in place, financing to restore the lake, and a real voice in how our lake is used and cared for. With a solid “FOR” vote across the three Propositions on November 3rd, we could start this project in 2020 and have our lake back in 24 months (and maybe less).
For fully half of our property owners, this plan will cost less than $47/month! For some, a lot less. What would it be worth to you to have your lake back?
One thing to consider is that there is no other plan anywhere. If voters do not approve all three propositions, there is almost no chance our lake will ever be restored — but if they do approve A, B and C on November 3rd, we could see construction start very fast. We have all the engineering and blueprints complete and in hand. Prebid consultations are set to begin. This plan is real.
Five clear benefits of restoring our lake
Clean, safe, and fun year-round recreation opportunities for everyone.
Restored economic vitality for property owners and local businesses
A safe, affordable, modern dam that will last for generations to come.
Ecologically sound habitats for all our lake residents, including our fish and wildlife
Enough clean, renewable hydroelectric energy to supply over 1,500 homes
Financially, this is a great plan for Dunlap’s waterfront owners.
From a financial perspective, even if your taxes increase by $1K per year for 30 years because you have a $500K property, it equals what is likely going to be a 150-250K dollar increase in the true market value of your property. That $30K investment is equivalent to a $150-250K increase in net worth today ... immediately ... not in 30 years.
At the end of 30 years, when the dam is paid for, I won't be here, but my kids and grandkids will, and the market price of lakefront property in this area is likely going to be astronomical.
Among the growing number of owners who have really looked at this part of the plan, outlined in the FAQ, there is strong agreement that the ROI on this deal is a no-brainer. This plan will produce equity and value that we can either recognize now on a financial statement, or in cash if we sell sooner rather than later. If you look long term, it will build on that immediate increase and build more equity year upon year — value that we can leave to our kids and grandkids.
That value is going to be whole a lot lower if we still have a muddy, algae-filled stagnant river like most of us do now.
For most folks, this is likely to be the single highest return financial investment a property owner in the WCID could make right now in these uncertain times.
John Kuempel Endorses The Restore Lake Dunlap Campaign!
Texas State Representative John Keumpel sent a letter out to his constituents this week strongly in favor of the Plan to Restore Lake Dunlap. You can read his letter here. The support of local leaders like John have meant a great deal to this effort, and John has been with us from the start. Thank you, John!
Boat/Float Parade in Support of Lake Dunlap Oct 3rd!!
HOLD THE DATE! Bring your boat, kayak, paddle board, tube or float and join us on Schumann's Beach starting at 10 am. We will send out full details in next week's email, but here are the important bits:
Starting at 10 am and continuing till noon, we plan to meet at Schumann's Beach to assemble a boat parade of supporters that want to see the lake back, and everyone is invited. Graciously, the owners of the ramp at Schumann's Beach have agreed to let us use the "beach" and boat ramp as our base camp. We're very grateful for their hospitality! We hope to attract people from all parts of the lake to participate and to show support for the effort to bring our lake back.
It might not match the July 4th boat parades of old, but we hope to evoke that same spirit. Plan to bring whatever you have for a leisurely cruise/paddle/float with your neighbors down the lake from Schumann's and back! We hope to see you there! (Rain dates are Oct 4 and Oct 10)
Next Steps
Our team has been hard at work on new elements for the campaign to Restore Lake Dunlap, and next week we will be rolling out our first direct mail piece, another video from real people who live right here on Lake Dunlap, and digital ads aimed at social media users.
Please encourage your neighbors and lakeside friends to subscribe to this weekly update. It takes just a few seconds on LakeDunlap.org — if they just complete the Subscribe box at the bottom of any page, we'll make sure they start getting these updates right away!
That's it for now, I guess. Questions? Hit reply and send 'em along. Much more coming over the next 49 days!
Sincerely,
Larry Johnson