Page 12 - December_2015_Life_in_Naples_Magazine

STATE OF
THE
JUST A WALK IN THE PARK
L iving in Naples is something I have never taken
for granted. We have access to beautiful weather,
beautiful beaches, and beautiful parks… all year
round! Our parks are a major contributor to what
makes Naples one of the most beautiful cities in
the world. I realized this more than ever when
City Council was recently presented with a “Parks Master
Plan Survey ”, completed by Barth Associates. One may
wonder: We already have great parks, why fix something
that is not broken? The answer is simple: because it is
important to understand what residents want in a park,
what types of uses they envision, and what they will
support. We also want to have knowledge of the attitudes
and interests of City residents and visitors to decide if the
current parks, facilities, and programs meet the needs of
the people in the community.
Telephone and online surveys as well as focus groups
were conducted in order to determine how Naples
Parks and Recreational Facilities stack up against the
desires of the community. Overall, most people feel the
parks excel. We did discover that many people would
like increased connectivity, accessibility, walking and
biking routes, and the completion of the Gordon River
Greenway. Additional canoeing and kayaking facilities,
boat ramps, improved/additional dog parks, adult fitness
and wellness programs, and senior adult programs were
the top suggested additions.
Other suggestions and ideas to improve parks and
amenities throughout the city are to add outdoor concert
venues to include concerts and live music, more special
events, large community parks and multi-use green
space, gathering spaces, passive parks, improvements to
beachfront parks, nature/environmental programs, tennis
lessons and leagues, more tennis courts, youth sports
programs, and more amenities. This discovery prompts
us to review the Baker Park plan, as many of these items
12
CIT YMAYOR JOHN SOREY
“Our main goal is to
continue to make Naples
the green jewel of
Southwest Florida,
and to maintain an
extraordinary quality of
life for our residents while
strengthening the economic
”health and vitality of the
City of Naples.
were included in it. This was a more active use than expected
and will require logistical planning, deliveries, catering, etc
to serve the events. The critical aspect is to understand and
implement the desires of the City residents.
One of the many things I hear from folks (which was
confirmed by Barth’s survey) is that each of our parks and
facilities offer different recreation, cultural, athletic, and/
or natural experiences. It was no surprise when I saw the
Naples Pier had the highest use of all our facilities, followed
by Lowdermilk Park, Naples City Dock, the Gordon River
Greenway, and Cambier Park.
Our main goal is to continue to make Naples the green
jewel of Southwest Florida, and to maintain an extraordinary
quality of life for our residents while strengthening the
economic health and vitality of the City of Naples.
I encourage you to go for a walk today and enjoy all that
our parks have to offer. If you have any ideas, suggestions or
comments, please contact me at 239.213.1000 or jsorey@
naplesgov.com.
Life in Naples | December 2015