We need hotel, restaurants

I watched our local, all volunteer, television station recently. The feature was The Mayor's Rap. It grabbed my attention for a full hour and I loved it. Mayor Peter Christie, as usual, was informative and humorous. It was a discussion about the intricate, beautiful and challenging trail system currently under construction in Bella Vista. The completed portion is attracting people from as far away as Canada.

The Trail Master, Erin Rushing, a professional trail designer and engineer with a group called Trailblazers, presented detailed information on the new trail design for central Bella Vista. The eastern third of Bella Vista is essentially completed and they expect to break ground on the central third this year. The building of the trails is through the generosity of the Walton Foundation, and maintenance costs are shared between the city and the POA (another example of positive collaboration between these governing groups).

Mayor Christie is definitely bringing our little city into the big time. After the show concluded, my thinking continued. First, I was absolutely amazed at the high-quality production by local TV. There was nothing amateurish about the technical quality of the taping. Further, this trail system shows signs of becoming a prime Bella Vista attraction. Bikers are coming now and, as trails are completed, the numbers will increase. Combine those numbers with those for other attractions and we have some major questions. Where will we house them? Feed them? Bella Vista badly needs a fine hotel.

It is my understanding that Cooper Communities owns all of the land for future commercial growth. It must surely see the tremendous commercial opportunities ahead for more restaurants and a hotel. The vacant land on Lancashire Boulevard, commonly known as Town Center West, is a prime piece of land for a hotel. What we need now is Cooper Communities' support for moving into our amazing future. My sincere thanks, Mayor Peter Christie, for being such an excellent guide.

Dr. Ginger Hamilton

Bella Vista

Editorial on 07/11/2018