Lake Lawtonka property owners to see 25% rate increase

LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - Approved during Tuesday’s council meeting, people who rent or lease property at Lake Lawtonka will see a 25% increase in rates starting January 2024, and will increase every year by 25% for the next three years.

“The price increase will go into effect in January, I believe. That part of the plan has already been worked out,” said Mark Scott, the chair of the land and lakes committee. “It’s a graduated scale that depends on what you’re paying now. What you’re paying now will determine what you’re paying next year.”

He said when compared to the other lakes in the area, Lake Lawtonka doesn’t charge as much.

“The feedback that we receive from the public is that while the prices are low the amenities are low as well,” Scott added.

The chairman said you get what you pay for, so with the increase in price, their goal is to increase the amenities.

“The first big thing is water and sewer, and then certainly work on improving the roads and the overall infrastructure of the area,” said Scott.

7News spoke with multiple people who declined to go on camera but lease property at the lake who all said the changes are happening too quickly, and if the city doesn’t monitor the price increases when they go into affect, it could leave behind a ghost town.

They also said they wouldn’t mind paying more for better amenities, but would like to see actual progress.

Scott said people might see changes sooner rather than later with the $3 million investment the city made for improvements.

“I’ll tell you, we’re already starting to talk about when to meet and it’s likely going to be the next two weeks to start the first part of the plan,” Scott said. “We want to start with a prioritized list that we really have already started working on, and then to look at different improvement that will get the best bang for our buck.”

In addition to these changes, council opened requests for the management of the school house slough.

Scott stated the proposal will end January 15, hopefully with someone in the position soon after, allowing people to get their permits through the slough instead of applying only online.

He added it’s nice to see action being taken and the overall end goal is to improve the quality of life for people who take the time to visit the lake.

“You’ve got quite a few folks that have quite a bit of money invested in the area, and I think we’d all like to see the quality of that area improve and continue to improve to be a great place to recreate,” said Scott.

While residents said they would like to see the slough’s bathroom in the improvement plan, they’re going to have to wait to see what’s presented to council.

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