Instead of people from Norfolk going to Omaha or Sioux City for fun and entertainment, Lonn Atwood would like to see people from those communities drive here.
The native Norfolkan said that could be possible with the development of a river walk along the North Fork of the Elkhorn River.
Atwood, who has gone kayaking on the river, said he has been impressed with how beautiful the river is and how being near it gives a person a feeling of being in the wilderness.
"You can be anywhere in the world on that river," Atwood said. "There's such a calming nature of being on the water and listening to the water flow by you."
People who want to get away or at least have the feeling of getting away can experience that, especially north of Benjamin Avenue. In that portion of the river, the trees are so heavy that one can only see elements of nature all around, Atwood said.
"We need some kind of development that isn't easily found everywhere else," he said. "If we can create something that gives this ambiance or this feeling that people have to come to Norfolk to get, then you can start getting a name for the community."
The city purchased some land in the 1970s that could be accessible now for a river walk or trails.
"That vision from the past is really going to help us now," Atwood said.
Some of the land next to the river is probably underdeveloped. Its usage could be shifted to higher concentration or a better use, Atwood said.
"Part of the idea of a plan is to have land identified as a best-use situation," Atwood said.
Experts who work in planning could be consulted to look at land uses up and down the river and make recommendations as to what should occur, he said.
When it comes to river walks, San Antonio probably is most well known and could provide inspiration for Norfolk.
It should be remembered that the Texas river walk faced even more obstacles at its inception, Atwood said. It began with a hotel developer in a decayed area that nobody wanted to visit but grew from that.
Reader Comments
Posted: Monday, October 15, 2007
Article comment by:
Mary Tenski
I think the idea of a river walk in Norfolk is Awesome. I visit a couple times a year and would certainly enjoy such a scenic walk.
