Lawrence village aquatic center is a no go

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Several important topics were discussed at the May 6 Lawrence village meeting, however the biggest news came after the meeting as the board of trustees decided against going ahead with the proposed aquatic center at the Lawrence Yacht & Country Club.

The feedback received was slightly in favor of the project but support was not overwhelmingly, village officials said.

Residents were asked to back a plan that would have at least 500 families paying $1,200 to $1,500 in annual membership dues. On May 7, the village sent out an email to 1,300 village households asking of they would support the anticipated $7 million construction of a 24,000-square-foot building that would house a 2,900-square-foot junior Olympic swimming pool for year-round use, locker rooms, steam room, west and dry saunas and a whirlpool.

Also planned was a fitness center, exercise gym and a kosher health bar and areas for dining inside and outside. A redesigned 12-booth golf driving range with three virtual golf bays was included.

The money to build the aquatic center was coming from the $8.5 million sale of the nearly 4 acres of land on Rock Hall Road that formerly housed the now decommissioned sewage treatment plant.

Lawrence’s five trustees also voted unanimously to ban any retail cannabis dispensary and/or on-site marijuana consumption licenses with the village. Mayor Alex Edelman said that the comments “extremely urged the board to prohibit the sale of marijuana.” Also passed unanimously was a measure regarding rental units aimed at ensuring quality of life living in  Lawrence.

Members of the village’s Park Commission and tennis players at the Lawrence Yacht & Country Club registered their unhappiness with the current condition of the club’s tennis area noting that the courts are unkempt and the patio furniture is deteriorating reasons for 40 people to drop their memberships and move on to other tennis venues, including the Atlantic Beach Tennis Center.

Tammy Roz, a tennis member who serves on the Park Commission, brought three options for the purchase of new furniture to the village board’s attention, which Edelman said the trustees would review. Drainage issues and maintenance of the nine Har-Tru courts are other problems that need to be resolved.

On the golf side, the news is sunnier as golf course manager Cory Menking said that “membership is way up,” and expects it to “skyrocket in June and July” as life returns to more of a normal pace with coronavirus pandemic on the wane.

Trustee Paris Popack said that plans to expand Zion Park are going out to bid. Up to three bids are expected on the plan to install security cameras in specific area within the village, officials said.

Permit fees for food trucks was set with a $25 fee to submit an application, $300 for a license and $250 for a license renewal.

Lawrence became one of the more than 3,400 communities nationwide that are a Tree City. Village Administrator Ron Goldman said that Lawrence can now receive funding to plant trees as part of urban forestry. Lawrence resident and current Board of Appeals member Ed Gottlieb will also serve on the tree committee.

“[This] promises to be a resource that will replace many of the trees that were either cut down or destroyed by hurricanes or superstorms,” Gottlieb stated in an email.