Rockaway Beach readies for revitalization

But the city isn’t giving up in its efforts to reinvigorate itself – and a member of the business community who has considerable economic development experience has been enlisted to help.

“(A casino) became a dead issue. We knew we had to go another direction,” said Larry Cline, a three-year resident of Rockaway Beach and its elected mayor since May 2007.

Cline, along with city alderman and local resident Wayne Aycox, began working with the town’s nearly 600 residents to come up with a cohesive plan to revitalize the lakefront community.

To get citizen input, Cline formed several new city committees including tourism and marketing, public safety and health, downtown revitalization, neighborhood revitalization and ordinances. Members of the newly formed economic development committee tapped Aycox to lead its efforts.

The city also is working with Mike Rankin, former economic development director for the city of Branson, to find economic development opportunities for the small Taney County town.

“Without Larry and Wayne’s vision, we wouldn’t be moving forward,” said Rankin, who worked on projects such as Branson Landing, Branson Hills, Sight & Sound Theater and Branson Commerce Park during his five years on Branson’s city staff.

“Rockaway Beach is experiencing what a lot of communities do when they put their eggs in one basket. It’s time to forget about something that can’t happen and focus on what can happen,” he added.

The city of Rockaway Beach retained Rankin’s services in April with $25,000 in private funding from Branson businessmen Jack and Pete Herschend of Herschend Family Entertainment.

Mayor Cline said that while city officials can use the money however they see fit, the only stipulation is that it support economic development. The Herschends, who did not return calls seeking comment for this story, have committed to a second $25,000 donation for economic development in the fall, Cline said.

Building on history

Restoring community pride is one of the city’s first goals, Rankin said, and a volunteer cleanup day in March was focused on that. Harriet Leenerts, a member of the economic development committee, said 200 local volunteers picked up trash and painted some of Rockaway Beach’s commercial buildings.

“I really think (our) strength is the people in the community who are there every day,” said Leenerts, who has a vested interest in Rockaway Beach’s future as a Realtor, broker, 30-year resident and owner of Pipers Lakeshore Resort.

Leenerts, Cline and Rankin agree that community revitalization depends on building on Rockaway Beach’s history as a tourism destination for events such as family reunions and class reunions, as well as family vacations, which were prevalent in the town from the 1940s through the 1960s.

One step in that direction lies in attracting new businesses to the lakefront, where Leenerts said there are six properties available.

“We’re hoping by early spring to have the storefronts filled,” she said, noting that a boardwalk has been suggested to enhance the lakefront.

Interested parties also agree on what they don’t need on the lakefront.

“We don’t want any more condos on the lakefront, so that everyone (who) comes can enjoy the lake,” said Leenerts, who also is chairwoman of the planning and zoning committee. She added that city officials and other business owners also want to use new city codes to exert local control over the business sector.

“A plan has to be in effect before developers come in,” she said.

Obstacles ahead

Even as Rockaway Beach leaders ponder their exact course of action, the town’s proponents know accomplishing their goal of creating economic development will take plenty of work.

Ironically, the town’s biggest asset – Lake Taneycomo – also presents its biggest challenge. Two nearby creeks have filled the shoreline with silt and debris and caused a need for dredging, which is an expensive proposition for the town, according to Cline.

The city also needs to rebuild its infrastructure, starting with its 70-year-old water lines. According to Gayle Bavuso, water and sewer clerk for Rockaway Beach, voters passed a $3.3 million revenue bond in February. The city hired Sprenkle and Associates of Carthage as the engineer to design and plan the new water system. Phase I of the water project will cost $950,000, Bavuso said, noting that the city is hoping grant money will help fund the construction.

Hope for new growth seems to have been resurrected in the small Taney County community of Rockaway Beach. “The people have pulled together and are working toward a common goal for the economic development of Rockaway Beach,” Cline said. “It is a neat little town.”[[In-content Ad]]