Collier County considers Wilson Boulevard extension, asks for public input

Collier County wants to ease traffic congestion and allow for faster emergency response times by extending Wilson Boulevard, and the public has a chance to give input on Monday evening while county officials consider several options.

The public meeting will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the multipurpose room of the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Office, located at 14700 Immokalee Road in Orangetree. The extension of Wilson Boulevard has been discussed for nearly 20 years, and county officials say they hope to get a good amount of input from community members during Monday’s meeting about how they think the boulevard should (or should not) be extended.

In 2005, a previous Wilson Boulevard extension corridor study identified three corridors and offered short- and long-term recommendations to improve them. This study will build on that one, and the goal is to find a preferred corridor to connect Golden Gate Boulevard East and Collier Boulevard, which could ultimately improve emergency response times and access between neighborhoods.

“When you see the actual swath of areas, potential locations for the extension of Wilson Boulevard, they’re almost a half a mile wide in some areas, and so it’s certainly up for discussion as to the actual line on the map that will actually become Wilson Boulevard extension,” said Collier County Commissioner William McDaniel.

McDaniel also says the infrastructure needs of the community must be met and made a priority, and that it’s paramount for emergency vehicles to be able to get to and from the people that live down there.

Although there are potential benefits to extending Wilson Boulevard, some Collier County residents tell WINK News they don’t want to see the boulevard extended at all. Some, like Gary Gorden, don’t want the boulevard to be extended because of the environmental impacts, something local officials say they are aware of.

“They’ve expanded Collier County far enough, as far as I’m concerned,” Gorden said. “It’s affecting the fishing industry right now, the commercial fisherman are getting their butts handed to them because too many people, and not enough space, not enough room. And, as a local, I don’t like expansion.”

McDaniel tells WINK News that since there is an enormous amount of environmentally sensitive land in the area of the possible expansion, it must be properly navigated in order to meet the infrastructure needs of the community.