Welcome to Pond Boss.

I don't think your idea is futile.

It's going to depend on the actual people who live around the given pond regarding their own potential usage of the pond, and further, whom they may give permission to use the pond.

Regardless, you can get an immense amount of joy from a pond even if others use it periodically or regularly.

Of course, the optimal situation is to have your own pond. Maybe you could find a home in a subdivision where the actual home acreage has a 1/4 acre pond, and there's still a bigger pond adjacent (that others can use).

Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:"
"She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."