Name:   John C - Subject:   In the absence of a public policy Date:   10/30/2019 4:23:40 PM

I am not worried about "heightening suspicions" of anyone that won't take the time to call me or email me. It does not take much effort to satisfy anyone's curiousity about my opinion, as inconsequential as it is on this subject. I am one of the most public and visible people on this forum. I use my real name - that and number and email are splashed everywhere on the web but again they are 334 221 58962 and john at lakemartinvoice dot com. I have enjoyed the many conversations with those that have called and emailed. It is always cool to me to connect with the people from all over that love Lake Martin like I do.

On a related subject, I have been, for years, in support of our legislators' lobbying efforts to get a RSA style hotel done at Wind Creek. It's the largest (in area) state park and has tons of room for a hotel without risking over growth. It would be a great place for people to try out the lake, and also a boon for the local economy. I am strongly in favor of hotels that are not overbuilt and are done right. It is a no brainer.

Regarding Russell Lands, I have been consistent in my opinion for the last 15 summers that I have been selling here and writing about real estate. If you are super bored you can comb back through my blog posts since 2007, videos since 2008, and Lake Magazine articles since (?) 2010. I think that RL does a great job. Yes, they are my largest competitor in real estate sales. Yes, I disagree here and there with a few things that a few of their employees have done and said. But in general, I think they do things in a first class way with an eye on how the lake will be affected for the next 100 years. I would encourage their detractors to look at other nearby second home / vacation spots if you want to see examples of short sighted stewardship that sacrifices smart growth for short term gain. 

Some might think this next statement is irrevalent, but I think it is spot on. Here is a true story: in the mid 1950s my grandfather, Temple Coley, and "Big" Ralph Froshin (another Alex City businessman) had the opportunity to buy a huge swath of waterfront on the lake. It was basically Tallassee Slough - from present day Anchor Bay Marina, west until almost where the Ampitheater is now. The price was like 50 cents an acre. or 15 cents an acre, one or the other, not even my dad remebers accurately. The point is - cheap. They went so far as to form a company, FroCo, with which to buy it. They had the money. But they didn't buy it. Why?

Even though they both had cabins on the lake then, even though they themselves and their families were enjoying the lake, they did not see it as a good long term investment.  Time proved them wrong. Very, very wrong.

It's easy to sit back now, 70 years later, and comment on what a huge financial opportunity FroCo missed. It's easy to play arm-chair developer and talk in couldas, shouldas, and wouldas. I often think, if that were me back then, would I have done it? Would I have had the vision to look two and three generations down the line and make the right decision, but put everything I had on the line to risk it? Probably not. I find myself to be pretty risk averse.  My grandfather started many successful businesses. If he passed on it, I probably would have, too.