Portions of Conner Park in North Naples will have restoration

The five-acre, Conner Park, is still recovering after Hurricane Irma. The park is in North Naples, which is just a short walk from our gulf beaches. The site is a work in progress, from power lines to fencing.

But, if you are not familiar with Conner Park, it is Terry Hunter’s favorite place to walk.

“I ride my bike through here and I walk my dog through here,” Hunter said.

Many living there are not aware the site is under construction. Patches of grass and limited vegetation in one area are a sharp contrast to what the park looks like further down the road. Harry Sells, who is the project manager for the Municipal Service Taxing Unit, wants to beautify it.

“Irma really destroyed this end of it,” Sells said. “They took all that vegetation on the other side of the road and laid it down. It was really kind of ugly.”

Hunter said he would not mind a park makeover due to the popularity in the community. Also, a new look would be more inviting, especially for its nearly one-mile walking trail.

“A lot of people walk through here,” Hunter said. “I’ve always noticed that.”

Also, about half of the utility lines that the project is expected to remove have been taken down. The remainder is planned to be gone by next week.

As of right now, there is no word of how expensive the cost of the project will be. The project manager estimates about $30,000 to $40,000 for landscaping alone. It will be paid through the MSTU.

“Our mission is to beautify Vanderbilt Beach and this is a method of beautifying and welcoming people to the community,” Sells said. “That’s our whole purpose.”