NAPLES, Fla. — People in the Henderson Creek Park community are expressing concerns after learning a planned affordable housing complex will now direct all traffic through their narrow, private road instead of having direct access to a main boulevard.
The Ekos Creekside development, which will bring 160 new affordable apartment units to the front end of Henderson Creek Drive, had originally included plans for an entrance and exit directly onto Collier Boulevard. However, community members recently discovered this public access point onto the main roadway has been removed from the plans.
WATCH AS HENDERSON CREEK NEIGHBORS SHARE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THE TRAFFIC PLANS:
"Well, it kinda came upon us by accident," said Julie Dana, the community association manager at Henderson Creek Park.
Dana says she and other board members only learned about the change during a recent meeting.
"But it came up during the discussion that it had been moved onto the side, onto our private road — Henderson Creek Drive," Dana said. "That means over 200 additional cars are now trying to get in and out through this small, private road. It's going to bottleneck."
People in the neighborhood say safety is a primary concern, saying increased traffic on an already congested road could pose risks.
In a statement to Fox 4 News, developer McDowell Housing Partners said it has been transparent with the community about the project:
"Ekos Creekside is a 100% affordable housing community. Our three other affordable communities in Naples have hundreds of people on the waitlist, this development is filling a critical need for Collier County. As with most development projects there is always going to be some impact to the existing community surrounding a development site. That’s why we have to abide by the rules and regulations of land development codes, building codes, and a multitude of state agency requirements. In this case, we tried to provide access on both Collier Boulevard and Henderson Creek but due to FDOT requirements we were unable to provide ingress/egress onto Collier. It should be noted that the site is zoned for a commercial development. A commercial development would require the same access design but would drive substantially more traffic than our affordable housing community. We put a lot of thought and effort into our design and strive to be good neighbors by lessening the impacts to the greatest extent possible. We’ve communicated with residents and leaders of the Holiday Manor Park and will continue to be transparent. "
Despite supporting affordable housing in principle, homeowners are urging county officials to reconsider the traffic plan.
"We believe affordable housing is an asset," said Henderson Creek board member Mike Dood. "And I believe that's a great place. What I have a problem with is how they're going to get in and out of it. And I think they should take that seriously and respect our wishes when it comes to the safety of that complex."
Construction of Ekos Creekside is expected to be completed by 2027.
