At the polls for China elections on Tuesday, we will vote for the town to acquire The Cabins at China Lake (formerly Candlewood, on Lakeview Drive), giving that dying property new life as the China lakeside community park. We urge all who value community access for lake recreation to do the same.

We’ve read critics’ comments that the move to create a lakeside park has been hasty and clandestine. Where does this come from? When we moved to China, a 1991 Comprehensive Plan was in place that included developing public lake access for swimming and recreation. We’ve followed the issue for years.

We watched the four-year creation of the 2008 China Ten-Year Comprehensive Plan and marveled at the planners’ dedication to making the plan comprehensive and reflective of fellow citizens’ desires for their community.

A 2004 planning survey sent to all citizens and a 2006 Vision Workshop both yielded strong support for increased public lake access. Voter approval of measures in 2007 and 2008 to direct specific funds (FairPoint grant and Ceska Reserve) to a Lake Access Fund showed the same.

Since 2008, China has followed the Comprehensive Plan in naming a committee “to develop a plan and financing strategy for obtaining land and developing a recreational facility access on China Lake.” Early groundwork led to naming several longtime citizens to the China Lake Access Feasibility Committee. Committee minutes on the China website reveal several properties researched, lengthy property negotiations, and attention to careful stewardship of the town’s pocketbook and residents’ wishes. (See www.china.govoffice.com.) Members have shared their findings publicly, repeatedly.

Now it’s our turn.

A lakeside community park will be an asset to China and its people now and in the future. We wish this park had been created sooner.

Kathy and David Glenn-LewinChina Village