4 Things This Lake Needs

People often ask me “What do we need at Smith Mountain Lake”? The question is usually asked in an effort to find out what new businesses could successfully fill a niche at the Lake. Here are five crucial areas for growth that, in my opinion, will become hot topics in the next few years. The Laker staff is currently helping to make each of them a reality
and working to make our community a better place.

1) Healthcare – Although Bedford and Rocky Mount have great facilities and high levels of care, they lack close proximity for emergency situations. We often lose potential and current residents each year because of the fear of inadequate healthcare. How could anyone who cares about our community stand in the way of an urgent care center with a medevac helipad located in Westlake?

2) Education – Our elementary schools rank as some of the best in the state but our secondary education programs again lack proximity to the Lake. We have lost several influential young families in the past year to private schools in Lynchburg and Roanoke. Our own research shows that there are more than 200 families at the Lake that would be interested in enrolling their children in private education if it were offered in the Westlake area. A group of community churches and financial donors have pulled together and are currently reviewing proposed land sites for a possible middle school and high school.

3) A Safer Way To Play: “VA WAKE Cable Park” – Imagine a 5-acre private lake with equipment capable of pulling 12 people – young and old – water skiing and wakeboarding all at the same time. If DEQ gives us the green light it will become a reality. Grandparents will be able to drop off their grandkids for the day without the fear of boat traffic or pollution. Skiers can challenge the ski course in near-perfect glassy conditions and even on busy weekends. And all the tourists visiting the area can get educated and give it a whirl before they try it on the big pond. Best of all, Smith Mountain Lake would be the only cable park watersports complex in the Mid-Atlantic, keeping big-traffic events off the Lake and in a safe, contained area.

4) SML Coalition – A group of real estate developers has pulled together resources to help promote Smith Mountain Lake as a destination. Television, radio and print ads will run regionally and nationally on such networks as ESPN, HGTV, FOX News, and in publications like Coastal Living and AARP in an effort to bring more Lakers to the area and boost the real estate market. If successful, the campaign could promote positive growth for SML far beyond anything ever implemented before by our local governments. Whether you are in favor or growth or not, at least take the time to educate yourself on potential growth here at SML. Look beyond how only you personally would be affected and consider how it might be beneficial to our entire community.

Sincerely,

Micah J. Gaudio
Publisher

P.S. The views and opinions expressed by the publisher are those of the publisher only and do not necessarily reflect the views of Laker employees or advertisers (but probably do).