P&R Board tables decision on veteran’s memorial

The Clear Lake Parks and Recreation Advisory Board has tabled a proposal to locate a veteran’s memorial at the Sea Wall.

The Board met Wednesday, June 25, in the Lakeview Room located directly across from the area V.F.W. Post 4868 proposes placing a memorial to honor living and deceased Clear Lake and Ventura veterans. The plan included three flag poles and two five-foot granite walls which would contain the names of honorably discharged veterans. The memorial would be 35-feet nearest the street and 28-feet at its front, closest to the Sea Wall. It would span 65 of the 290-foot Sea Wall.

 “Other communities have memorials in prominent spots and we would really like to do the same, V.F.W. Quartermaster David Theiss told the Board. “This would be center stage Clear Lake and every veteran would be proud to have his name listed right here.”
Gene Madson shared the presentation he made to the City Council June 2, which would move the current V.F.W. flag pole and granite pier located near the Clear Lake Yacht Club to the Sea Wall site. Two additional flag poles and piers flying the American and Iowa flags would be part of the memorial along with granite walls, a small water feature and flowers. Madson noted the walls would be eight-inches wide and angled to the lake.
Madson said he does not believe the proposed monument will create any obstruction to views of the lake. He noted the area currently contains several bushes which are four to five-feet high, the same height as proposed granite walls.
However, a handful of persons attending the meeting disagreed, saying that while they support construction of a veteran’s memorial they do not want to see it at the Sea Wall.
“A plan is already in place, which the City paid $20,000 for and Marty Shukert presented to the City Council, which places a veteran’s memorial by the old water tower site. I don’t understand why you are being asked to abandon it,” said Anne Unsworth. She went on to present the Board with a letter from Shukert, a principal at RDG Design, who disputed statements Madson made to the City Council June 2 saying Shukert had suggested and endorsed placement of the veteran’s memorial at the Sea Wall.
In the letter Shukert stated the design Madson presented was shown to him just before RDG Design held a design workshop for the waterfront and water tower site. “I did not participate at all in the design of this concept,” the letter stated. “I salute Mr. Madson’s dedication to the need to provide a Veterans Memorial and the support of the VFW Post for this project. However, I feel it is important to clear up any misunderstanding and to emphasize my support for the concept that I actually did help develop as part of our firm’s design team.”
Madson maintained that he had, in fact, sat down with Shukert to discuss his plan for the memorial at the Sea Wall. “Marty Shukert suggested this area.”
Gail Robinson, who volunteers for the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce on weekends throughout the summer, said she also opposes placement of a memorial at the Sea Wall because it is so widely used.
“The Chamber gets constant comments from people who are surprised about the small amount of lakefront available. I think taking up any of this lakefront is a mistake. I support a memorial, but not taking lakefront space,” she said.
Bob Swanson, who identified himself as an Army veteran, also objected to use of the Sea Wall area. He suggested a memorial would be better in City Park, across from the V.F.W., or at the cemetery. “Not every community has a memorial, and those that do don’t have a lake. It doesn’t have to take up lakefront. I think that’s a mistake.”
P&R Board member Darron Jones asked Madson why he did not like the site the RDG design  - Read More Via e-Edition