Well, that proposed lagoon in Fountain Park certainly took us by surprise but, since many members of the Town Council weren’t even aware of the project until it was ready to be presented, we figure the parties involved deserve some praise for managing to keep things so tightly under wraps.

Also like those council members, we’ve got a lot of questions when it comes to the project, which aims to convert a decent-sized section of the lake into a beach and swimming destination right in the heart of Fountain Hills.

The price tag is pretty hefty, so we’d be interested in hearing how not only the construction, but also the upkeep will be afforded. And speaking of upkeep, we imagine something like this lagoon would provide all sorts of new obstacles to be addressed on a regular basis. When we’re having trouble keeping up with things like the local roads (and some would argue existing park amenities), the thought of a new undertaking seems all the more daunting.

Then again, depending on how successful such a project is, the lagoon could potentially pay for itself.

That’s the dilemma we’re currently facing. For every positive we come up with, we have an equal number of potential negatives. While the lagoon might affect things like the park’s disc golf course and events like the local high school graduation that are typically hosted in the area, maybe rerouting the course and hosting events in a different location wouldn’t be such a difficult task. And hey, maybe there’s an array of new events that could be hosted in a park lagoon.

Every time we ask one question, we come up with half a dozen more. And that’s actually a good thing. As Mayor Linda Kavanagh stated during the June 15 Town Council meeting, this all comes down to what Fountain Hills residents want and whether or not a project like this is in the town’s best interest. The only way to discover that is to ask your questions and propose your ideas.

A feasibility study is the next leg of this process, and any input from community members will likely be of assistance. Just remember that nothing is even remotely set in stone yet, so fans of the lagoon shouldn’t set their hopes too high and those who have a negative gut reaction shouldn’t fear that the bulldozers are rolling next week. The proposal committee wants to know what the community thinks about a possible lagoon in Fountain Park, so now is the time to chime in with your two cents.