City Council agrees Naples Pier concession stand isn’t needed

The $26.6 million Naples Pier design will return to the drawing board after the City Council agreed a concession stand, deck and seating at its inland entry would cause people to congregate, stop the flow onto the pier and lead to noise, smells and other problems for beach neighbors. 

The agreement occurred during an update July 29 at a special Council meeting during summer break and aligns with a survey completed by nearly 11,000 residents showig dining wasn’t a priority. But the city will advertise a public hearing this month for a formal vote to allow the public to weigh in and decide if vending machines are sufficient, as well as seating elsewhere on the pier. 

“We need to remember that for a long part of the … design process, we were under the assumption that we were going to be able to put concessions on the pier, just like we have historically since 1946, and then suddenly, no, we can’t,” Council member Ray Christman said of the Federal Emergency Management Agency barring it due to risk and new guidelines. 

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