East County Issue: Public Access

The Conejo and Rancho Simi park districts and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy are investigating the possibility of opening Lake Sherwood to the public.

Many homeowners along the lake pay $550 a year for its private use. It would be the only public lake in eastern Ventura County if opened. Should the lake be made public?

* Tex Ward

eneral manager, Conejo Recreation and Park District

The district and the conservancy attempted to acquire the lake from the previous owner about a year ago with the support of the homeowners at that time. That effort was not followed up on when David Murdock bought the property. Since his representative recently approached the district as to whether or not we would be interested in acquiring the lake, and as much as that had been an objective in the past, we’re looking into it. The lake is an important resource in the county, provided it can be managed in an environmentally sensitive way, one that respects the rights of the homeowners and at the same time allows the appropriate public recreational use of the lake for boating and fishing and other activities. The sale would have to be contingent upon a lot of things, like finding the appropriate revenue flow to maintain the lake. Public users would have responsibilities as well as the homeowners.

* Jack V. Speirs

Lakefront homeowner

Well, I’m afraid my opinion is no, and I’ll tell you why. All of us here bought property on a private lake, and most of us would like to retain it as a private lake. I used to be the lake manager here, and

there was a long time I was glad the lake was public--public only in the sense that six months of the year there was a picnic and boat-rental concession out of sight and away from homeowners on the lake. The public has moved much closer to the lake, and I look at the things that people do to public places now, as opposed to what it was like in the ‘40s. I have to say, nope. We bought property on a private lake. I do have to say, if it goes public, it couldn’t be in better hands than Tex Ward. It would need a major lake patrol and security force. But the best thing that could happen would be that it would stay private and that the people who live here would support it; $550 a year from each homeowner will not do it.

* Yvonne M. Emerson

Lakefront homeowner, former community association board member

At one time, I put a great deal of effort in trying to make a public lake. It seemed like a real treasure that should be made public to people. I’m not sure that the time for that hasn’t passed. So coming from my extremely strong feeling that there should be public access, that is a strong statement. I will say, I was one of the key people in recognizing David Murdock’s purchase as a very promising solution to the problems we’ve had, and I think he’s done an excellent job. People don’t realize how complex this place is and what he was up against. If the lake becomes public, I spent years, literally, attending meetings and exploring options, and I think there is no better public option available than to be managed by the conservancy. There still might be a place here for public access, but it has to be handled in an extremely sensitive way. This is not the rural, rustic place it used to be.

* Rorie A. Skei

Program manager, Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority

Most assuredly, the lake should be made public. What an exciting possibility! There had been a long history of public enjoyment of the lake, for a small fee, prior to the time the previous owner, Daton Realty, locked up the picnic grounds and subsequently drained the lake. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy from its inception has had an interest in securing water-oriented recreation in the mountains to no avail. It has been a high priority in the past. The conservancy tried for a number of years to acquire the lake from Daton Realty but couldn’t. When Murdock purchased the lake, we were told he had no interest in making the lake available to the public. Acquisition of Lake Sherwood had been a high priority in years past. It is a unique resource, and it would be wonderful to see its potential for wildlife, fishing and traditional recreational uses restored.

* William Steven Seemann

Executive vice president, Lake Sherwood Ranch

The question is not whether or not the lake should be made public, but who is best able to provide for the long-term care and maintenance of the lake. Whether it is public or private is not an issue. A lake is a wonderful thing. When I was a child, I used to love to ride my bike to Lake Sherwood for the day. All that I’ve wanted and all that David Murdock wants is for that lake to be there in perpetuity and to be cared for. Whoever demonstrates that they are best able to care for the lake ultimately has the best title to the lake. If that is a public agency, well, that’s great. If it is held privately, well, that is great too. One of the reasons the property was developed was to have a lake. Dave Murdock spent a lot of money restoring and dredging the lake, and we don’t want that money to go to waste.