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NAPLES — Collier’s revamp of East Naples’ Bayview Park may be a-OK with residents, but the county’s plans for a parking lot near the park is definitely not going to win any popularity contest.

The county is redesigning Bayview Park, a four-acre facility located at the end of Danford Street off Thomasson Drive that has consistently been a popular boating spot due to its quick access to the Gulf of Mexico.

Collier County has more than 24,000 registered boaters and four public boat ramps, of which Bayview Park is the only boat launch within a 15-mile radius. The park currently has 16 boat trailer parking spaces, 35 regular car spots and one single boat launch ramp.

The park redesign by Naples based Johnson Engineering includes 40 boat trailer parking spaces with grass pavers, 26 regular car spaces, a new canoe/kayak launch, new landscaping and educational signs about manatee and sea grass protection, a floating dock and a three-boat launch ramp.

Although the park project still needs to go through local (the park is within the Naples city limits), state (South Florida Water Management District) and federal (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) permitting before a groundbreaking next year, county officials said that it would only take about three months for the upgrades to be completed.

“This redesign of the park is excellent,” said Michael Sanford, 54, a five-year resident of Danford Street. “They should proceed immediately.”

Gary McAlpin, Collier County’s coastal zone management director, agreed with Sanford.

“We like the revamping of the park too,” McAlpin said last week.

However, that’s as far as their agreement goes.

Sanford, along with more than 15 residents, attended a Neighborhood Information meeting Tuesday at East Naples Community Park.

All of the residents agreed to disagree with the county as to the need of a proposed parking lot for Bayview Park off Hamilton Harbor Drive between Danford and Bay streets.

“It’s the parking within our neighborhood that we don’t want,” said three-year Danford Street resident Leigh Breeden, 60. “Not even on the corner do we want parking.”

Tuesday’s event was the third meeting concerning a rezoning application by the county to turn two county-owned residential lots into a fenced parking lot with 39 boat trailer spaces, as well as converting two additional lots into a pathway/road leading to the park from Bay to Danford Street.

McAlpin said it will be two years before the county completes the rezoning and permitting process for the parking lot.

And residents can still voice their concerns, said John-David Moss, principal planner with Collier’s Community Development and Environmental Services Division.

“I will put it in my packet that I present to the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners,” said Moss adding that the planning board is tentatively set to hear the rezoning application on Dec. 4, while the County Commission hearing is slated for Feb. 10. “Both boards will see what the residents concerns are.”

Commissioner Donna Fiala said residents reached out to her office even though the park is just outside of her district.

“They (the residents) have every right to be concerned,” she said, adding that she had gone to visit the neighborhood. “They are fearful that their tranquility will be taken from them.”

Fiala said the issue could be resolved as long as those involved keep level heads.

At Tuesday’s meeting, resident Chad Sulkes, 35, suggested county officials wait and see how the completed renovations affect park attendance, before proceeding with the rezoning request for the proposed parking lot.

“I thought that (phasing) would be a lot better,” said Sulkes a four-year Collier resident, after the meeting. “I feel that if they change the park — to start with — and see how that works, then they can move forward and see what the impacts are on the area.”

Sulkes said Bayview definitely needs to improve and that county staff has been really accessible in spite of the understandable animosity.

“Obviously it’s a subject nobody is happy about,” said Sulkes who owns property on Danford Street. “No one wants to have a parking lot in their backyard.”

For more information about the Bayview Park improvements and the proposed parking lot, call (239) 252-4237 or e-mail johndavidmoss@colliergov.net.