Photo Credit: Courtesy of Collier County Parks and Recreation
In East Naples, Fla., options for summertime recreation were limited to indoor activities or suffering in the heat of the sun. While Collier County is a coastal community, not everyone in East Naples has access to the beach or local pools. With the nearest community pool miles away, it was virtually unreachable for those with transportation disadvantages. That is, until the opening of Eagle Lakes Aquatic Facility at Eagle Lakes Community Park.
Let Their Voices Be Heard
The project was part of the parks and recreation master plan developed in 2011. Following initial planning meetings, Commissioner Donna Fiala, District 1, felt that the community needed to have a voice in the design of the facility. Fiala and staff members invited people in the community and nearby schools to attend a meeting to garner input. The turnout exceeded expectations, and through this discourse a new vision for the aquatic facility was realized.
“I really wanted to see our community have something that was good,” Fiala says. “If you approach the people that you are trying to do something for, that communication will serve as a good barometer for the success of your project.”