COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Collier County held a public meeting on Monday to gather feedback on a plan to extend Wilson Boulevard in Golden Gate Estates. The county has been studying the plan for several years and the goal is to reduce traffic as the population continues to grow.
The proposed extension may help ease congestion on Golden Gate Boulevard and improve access for emergency vehicles but could mean cutting through a community that does not want to see major construction in their backyard.
The county says a previous study identified three possible routes for the new road, but not everyone agrees with the plan.
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“I don’t want trucks coming down this street. It’s a very nice neighborhood,” said Carol Ericsson, who lives on Wilson Boulevard. Ericsson said she has lived on the street for over 30 years and worries the extension will change her quiet neighborhood by breaking past the dead end on her road.
Ericsson and her partner, Jerry Barkley, fought a similar plan years ago to build a bridge at the end of Wilson Boulevard. They think extending the road will bring more noise and beleive there are better options like expanding Golden Gate Boulevard.
“When I first moved here in 1990, you could tell when it was season. Now, it feels busy all year,” Barkley said. “They keep building more homes and businesses, and it’s getting worse," he added.
The county is studying how the project might affect the environment and how to pay for it.
The study’s goal is to determine a preferred conceptual alignment and specifications to connect Golden Gate Boulevard East and Collier Boulevard, the county says.
They plan to present a final plan to the Board of County Commissioners, which will include input from neighbors, in the spring of 2025.
