Northern Move Update: If you've seen some activity on the north side of the zoo, it is because we're moving support services north as they now sit on land no longer part of the lease. Land is now being prepared north of the original garden to be the future home for our office trailers, maintenance facilities, greenhouses, animal quarantine, veterinary facilities, and more. Learn more.
Pond and Zoo/Greenway Entrance Resolved:Zoo Board Affirms Its Support of Option D
with Greenway Stakeholders' Approved Modifications
and County Commissioners Vote to Approve
The new entrance option for Collier County's Gordon River Greenway and the Zoo will expand the water features in front of the Zoo. The issue was created when current codes did not allow for Naples Zoo to keep its existing entries.
At their July 19, 2012 meeting, the Naples Zoo Board reviewed the modifications agreed upon at the July 10 meeting of the Gordon River Greenway stakeholders and voted to affirm its support of the plan. “The consensus modifications reflect many of the steps we had already planned to take, such as relocation of the Reclinata Palm as well as the koi and turtles, and including native plantings and landscaping,” said Zoo Board President Paula Brothers. The stakeholders and board provided their recommendations to the Collier Board of County Commissioners who voted to approve this option at their July 24 meeting.
Expanding the Pond
Along with increasing the water along the road in the western pond, the approved plan adds an all new pond north of the entry road so water will be on both sides as guests drive onto the site and then turn south to a new expanded parking area south of the current gift shop. This creates a new, beneficial environment to address stormwater and aquifer recharge,as well as continues to improve the flora and fauna for the community.
Help is Still Needed
We hope all those who have rallied behind the effort to save the pond will continue supporting your local Zoo by visiting and donating so the Zoo is able to fund the extra costs associated with this project.
If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail us.
Who is involved in the Greenway?
Why can't people park across the street?
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Q & A
What is the Greenway?
When complete, the Gordon River Greenway will stretch two miles from Golden Gate Parkway toward the heart of Naples. This public pathway is being designed to accommodate walkers, hikers, photographers, and artists as well as joggers, cyclists, in-line skaters, and skateboarders. Paths are wide enough for parents pushing baby carriages, people walking dogs, as well as individuals in wheelchairs. With the planned launch areas, paddlers in canoes and kayaks will have access to a new landscape to explore.
The Gordon River Greenway was highlighted in the 2004 election to “Save the Zoo and So Much More.” Along with saving the 44 acres of land under the Zoo, the vote saved about 70 acres to the east of the Zoo. But the idea for the Gordon River Greenway began back in 1987 during a visit by the American Institute of Architects’ Regional Urban Design Assistance Team. The first section opened in 1992 and consists of a 1-½ mile paved loop trail adjacent to the Naples Municipal Airport.
Who is involved in the Greenway?
The Greenway project is being pursued as part of a cooperative project of government, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and citizens. Partners include the State of Florida, Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Greenways and Trails; City of Naples; Collier County Department of Parks and Recreation; Conservation Collier; Conservancy of Southwest Florida; Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens; Naples Municipal Airport; Naples Pathways Coalition; Rails to Trails Conservancy, Florida Field Office; Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Southwest Florida Land Preservation Trust. A panel of all partners meets regarding decisions involving the Greenway.
Parking spaces over the pond?
The County’s engineering consultants’ design was never to pave the pond and park a few cars on that small space. With the approved plan, Zoo visitor traffic will pass through the signalized intersection at Fleischmann Blvd. where water will be on both sides as they enter the site and and turn right to an expanded parking area south of the gift shop. The existing vehicle entry points south of the pond will be closed. Likewise, the parking lots immediately north and south of the pond would also be eliminated by this new entrance road and replaced with water and landscaping.
And while the Indian laurel fig south of the pond is not a historically designated tree, the Zoo brought in an arborist to see if the tree could be saved and then covered the consulting costs to have the engineers redraw the plans to protect this beautiful specimen.
Is parking really an issue?
Overall zoo attendance has doubled in just over a decade with no significant change in parking. And the first five months of 2012 saw a 15% increase over the record 2011 season. Throughout the winter months, over 2,000 guests a day are regularly trying to park in one of 330 available spaces, which is why they are parking across the street and have understandably voiced their dissatisfaction with our limited parking. Likewise, the Strategic Plan Consultants, the Strategic Plan Committee, a blue ribbon panel of experts, Master Plan Consultants, and the Zoo’s accreditation inspectors unanimously identified the Naples Zoo entrance and its associated parking as a top priority to improve guest satisfaction and public safety. And this wasn’t factoring any Greenway or Conservancy access traffic.
Why can’t people park across the street?
First, safety. By parking across the street, families must cross six lanes of traffic. Second, parking across the street is not a long-term option. While we greatly appreciate the patience of our neighbors during these years of waiting for parking capacity to catch up with public demand, they need parking for their visitors at the same times we experience larger attendance.
What happened to the lilies?
We were very unhappy when our lilies began going away in the pond. These beautiful plants were eaten by Muscovy ducks, an introduced species in the U.S. Unfortunately, more ducks are attracted when they are fed, which many who stopped by this pond enjoyed doing. While this had been going on for years, one season’s uptick in the duck’s eating activities eliminated the lilies before we could fully educate guests about this practice or try to dissuade the ducks from spending time around the pond.
What happens now?
Construction documents must be drawn up and approved and then creation of the pond expansions and entry road will begin. After years of meetings and hard work by the Gordon River Greenway stakeholders, this process has been resolved. We thank them for their efforts as well as the approval by the County Commissioners. You can express your gratitude to the Commissioners at the addresses below.
DonnaFiala@colliergov.net