Is it time to bring sand to the beach? According to some prominent Tempeans, the time is near.
On Tuesday, November 29th at 11am, we will all have the opportunity to hear about a proposal to create a swimming beach, complete with sand, at Tempe Town Lake.
Yes, really.
One of the candidates for Mayor of Tempe, Michael Monti along with city council candidate Dick Foreman will be discussing plans to make their beach plan a reality for tens of thousands of people to enjoy each year
You’ve heard of Zonies, right? Heck, I’ll bet a buck or two that you are or have been one. With just a 4-5 hour drive to get to the beach at San Diego, many of us head there each year to put our toes in the water, our ass in the sand. Maybe we can keep some of those travel dollars closer to home? Yeah, that’s a bit of a stretch to compare the ocean with Tempe Beach Park, and yeah, their beach is pretty cool, but this idea just might make some $ense.
The Tempe Beach announcement was released November 23rd and has caught the curiosity of many people in and around Tempe. I spoke with Chris Lee of Arizona Stand Up Paddling this week about the possibility of having a place where people could come enjoy a day of beach activities right here in Tempe. Chris seemed cautiously optimistic.
“I think it would be cool” said Chris.
The obvious question arose of the swimming conditions of the lake. Many people are under the impression that Tempe Town Lake is not safe for swimming. It’s my understanding that the lake IS safe to swim. Heck, look at all of the “Iron man” events held there.
Clearly, I’m not an expert on water safety and, clearly, I’m not an attorney, nor have I ever played one on tv. My hunch is that next week’s press conference will answer questions that many will have about the creation of a public beach at Tempe Town Lake. If you want to hear the information straight from the horses candidate’s mouth, join them at the Pedestrian Bridge near the Tempe Center for the Arts on the south side of Tempe Town Lake. The address for the TCA is 700 W Rio Salado Parkway in Tempe.
Beach Front Property?
I can see it now, beach blankets and picnic baskets in the arms of light rail riders heading to Tempe Town Lake. We all know there are almost endless activities already happening along the line at any given time, but this idea is really interesting, in that there are hundreds of households already located on the south side of the lake. Places like 525 Town Lake, Regatta Pointe and, of course, the Hayden Ferry Condominiums are just a short distance from the shores of the lake now, but there isn’t currently a sandy beach setting like we assume could be on the horizon.
What Do You Think?
Well, what do you think? Are you ready to stick your toes in the water and plop your ass in the sand? Would you swim in the lake? Is this a good thing for Tempe? Plusses and minuses? We will get questions answered on Tuesday at the official announcement of their proposal. I’ll be there, hopefully, you will be as well.
Oh hell yes. If it worked at Val Vista Lakes and a few local resorts, why not?
I once accidentally swam in Tempe Town Lake after capsizing my kayak. I was sneezing for a week from all the algae I swallowed or inhaled. The water will need to be cleaned up significantly before it is appropriate for swimming.
I think on a sunny day that would be really lovely, but the cost of doing it would be pretty large?