NAPLES, Fla. — The Naples Pier project may face more delays after the city council agreed to discuss scaling back its redesign plans. The decision came after nearby residents reportedly complained about the size of the new pier.
"Maybe we didn't quite look at it the way that we could have and thoroughly," said Mayor Theresa Heitman.
The city council had approved most of the design plans last year, and construction was expected to start as early as this December. However, at a special meeting on July 30, several council members expressed concerns that some changes might lead to overcrowding and noise, which could lower property values.
"At this scale and visibility, I think it's a mistake. I don't support it personally," said council member Raymond Christman. "I think what we need at the land side are good restroom facilities, outdoor showers, and water fountains with good pressure and reliability, and that's about it."
Watch the latest report on the pier from Naples Community Correspondent Mahmoud Bennett.
City Manager Jay Boodheshwar said they are considering eliminating the concession area and reducing the decking area to something similar to what exists today.
When asked how much this would affect the timeline of construction, Boodheshwar said he could not give an estimate.
"I don't expect there to be a huge delay," he said. "What I can say is reducing the scope of something that is being permitted is always easier than adding to the scope," Boodheshwar added.
This prospect of more delays is disappointing to long-time visitors like Stephanie Hamilton. "It feels quite sad actually. We saw that it was closed, and we heard the devastation. We were really sad," she said.
Hamilton has been visiting Naples with her family for over 20 years and says it is not helpful to get caught up in the small details.
"We came this year hoping to see some progress, and there's been very little progress in a year. To hear it’s being pushed back even further is really sad," Hamilton added.
A new redesign plan will be developed over the next couple of weeks. The city council is expected to vote on the changes on September 4.
