No Water Park coalition members packed the chamber at County Hall

By Pam Nicholls, GSAC Board Member
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Opponents of the Naples Grande 3.3 acre Waterpark development took their case to the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday, March 24. A coalition of over 50 residents representing Pelican Bay, Seagate, Naples Cay, Park Shore and Gulf Shore communities had planned to lay out a laundry list of reasons why the resort’s proposed water park was incompatible with the residential community and would have serious long term negative implications on quality of life and property values.  

However, the chance of vocalizing their opposition was shut down before it got started. Due to Rules of the Chamber—and the possibility that the issue may return as a future agenda item—BCC Chairman Dan Kowal declined to take public comment on the waterpark. 

Naples Grande intends to demolish the existing tennis courts to make room for a waterpark on the corner of Seagate Dr and Crayton Rd

Patrick Wack, president of Seagate Property Owners Association said before the BCC meeting that it was critical “our elected representatives hear us” as sunshine laws dictate Commissioners can only discuss the proposed development in a public forum. 

Last week, Bay Villas, the community immediately adjacent to the Naples Grande resort, received news that the County’s Zoning Division was siding with the Naples Grande and had rejected residents’ arguments that a water park of the size and scale envisioned, would violate the Pelican Bay land development code in several key aspects.  

Wack confirmed the community’s lawyers will appeal the rulings to the BCC. “Although we are disappointed that we could not speak, we respect Commissioner Kowal’s decision to delay,” said Wack. “The lawyers believe that the County staff’s zoning interpretations (OIs) are severely flawed.”  

Bay Villas has already spent $100,000 in legal and professional fees to defeat the project and has raised close to $40,000 in a GoFundMe campaign to help pay ongoing costs, including the appeal against the Zoning division’s judgement.  

In a statement released to the Newsletter on Monday, the No Water Park coalition said it “fundamentally rejects any argument that a publicly accessible, 3.3 acre water amusement park is allowable, compatible, or customary. It should not be allowed in our environmentally sensitive neighborhood.” 

Both GSAC and the City of Naples have written to the Board of County Commissioners urging them to reject the plans for the water park, citing incompatibility with the surrounding residential area as well as noise, traffic, and parking issues.  

“This is a battle for the soul of our neighborhoods” according to the NWP.  “We will continue to fight the hotel and its private equity owners.”  

The coalition is encouraging the community to email County Manager Amy Patterson and the Commissioners to express their opposition to the project and post comments on the Stop The Waterpark Instagram and Facebook sites. 

Commissioner Kowal recently told a GSAC meeting that if the issue ever reached the Board of County Commissioners he would vote “No” to a waterpark. Kowal represents District 4.  

The hearing before the BCC is expected to take place within 60 days.