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RONNIE WALTERS DREAMED of one day owning the Eden Isle Marina that he helped build as a teen-ager. That aspiration was a lofty one and a lifetime away from his youthful days spent shining shoes on the courthouse square in Heber Springs.
But last June his avowed dream came true.
Today the 49-year-old real estate investor envisions making the marina into a well-kept showplace on Greers Ferry Lake, one in keeping with the nearby upscale homes and condominiums.
Walters' ambitious plans have hit many Eden Isle residents like an unwelcome splash of cold water. For them, his dream of expansion represents a nightmarish intrusion on their privacy.
His picture of the future includes a proposed 10-year master plan that could lead to 500 more boat slips, doubling the size of the marina. The proposal entails building more amenities that might include a lakeside restaurant.
"As a businessman, I understand he's trying to maximize the profits, but the island itself cannot survive with this kind of invasive commercialism," says Dick Upton, who owns Eden Isle and also lives there.
The marina, valued at $1.8 million by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, once was part of the private Eden Isle development. However, control drifted to outside interests when the original developer, Herbert Thomas Sr. and First Pyramid Life, went belly up and ownership moved to Red Apple Enterprises Ltd., an investment group led by Melvyn Bell.
Since then, Eden Isle residents have warily watched marina owners chart their own course. Walters isn't saying, but others place the value of his acquisition nine months ago at $1.4 million.
"It was in a real run-down state of condition when I bought it," he...