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Collier parks officials to vet beach parking garage proposal at Clam Pass Park

Greg Stanley
Naples
Beachgoers walk towards the boardwalk after parking at Clam Pass Park in Naples on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. Collier County is considering two major beach parking projects, one of which would include a $7 to $10 million garage at this popular beach access point.

Collier County will vet a proposal Wednesday to build a parking garage at Clam Pass Beach as commissioners update their master plan for the county's park system for the first time in seven years.

Beach access for a climbing population may prove to be the main challenge for the county's park system in the coming years. With few options to expand parking lots horizontally, the county may go vertical. Commissioners have ordered a feasibility study to show what it would cost to build a three-story parking garage at Clam Pass.

More:Collier to consider parking garage at Clam Pass Park to improve beach access

More:Collier commissioners push forward study of Clam Pass parking garage to improve beach access

The Clam Pass Park offers a shuttle service at their beach access point in Naples, Florida. As more people come to Southwest Florida, debate is growing as to whether theyÕre being funneled into too few beach access points, with too limited and expensive parking.

On Wednesday, parks officials will start collecting public comment to see if residents would stomach a second beach parking garage in North Naples. The first garage at Vanderbilt Beach drew criticism.

"We want to know what people would tolerate in terms of beach access and improvements," said Barry Williams, parks director.

Past proposals to expand Clam Pass parking have failed after outcry from neighbors.

A three-story garage would add more than 300 spaces in the popular park's current lot at the end of Seagate Drive.

Clam Pass Park gets more than 157,000 visitors a year and currently has 171 parking spaces. Beachgoers hop on a shuttle or walk down a milelong boardwalk from the parking lot to the beach.

More:Collier's free shuttle service to North Naples beaches starts up

More:Editorial: Another beach parking garage a future necessity

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The park master plan will also try to address how the county will fund the second phase of a new major regional park that will be built near the fairgrounds in Golden Gate Estates.

The estimated $40 million to build the first phase of the park, to be called Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park, would come from either impact fees or a sales tax, if voters approve a 1 percent hike this November.

The first phase would include sports fields and courts, walking trails, a playground, a community center and a swimming pool. Construction is expected to begin in 2019 with the park opening sometime in 2021.

More:Collier Commissioners plan to open new park in 2019

The second phase of the park, to build a gym and more sports fields and trails, is expected to cost another $32 million. The county still needs to decide how to pay for the second phase.

Parks officials hope to present a draft of the new master plan to commissioners before the end of May.

The meeting is set for 6 p.m. at North Collier Regional Park, 15000 Livingston Road.