Island's New Park a Hidden Gem

Castaway Park, Marco’s newest park, has a huge supporter in Robyn Johnson, Executive Director of the Watermark, the brand new retirement community who maintains the park as part of a 30-year maintenance agreement with the City. The park abuts the Watermark, located at 1170 San Marco Road, adjacent to the Urgent Care Center. 

“From an operator's standpoint,” Johnson said, "when I see a boutique-size retirement community that is next to a green space that’s on the water, it sort of makes my mind explode.”

Castaway Park could have easily been named Hideaway Park, as it is hidden away behind the Watermark and the Urgent Care Center. The fact that the park is hidden away perhaps adds to its allure. It’s a tranquil spot with a large expanse of water comprising much of its border. One of the key features of the park is an outdoor gym with a price tag of over $70,000 that offers a full body workout for a variety of fitness levels.

“We have donated a Thrive 900,” Johnson said, "which is that huge yellow apparatus out there. It's actually 20 different adult physical fitness stations. But it also kind of works as a playground as well. I see a lot of kids just enjoying kind of running around it.”

The Thrive 900 may look like a jungle gym, but it is a serious piece of exercise equipment that offers variable training options for beginner, intermediate, and advanced users. 

"Within 12 hours of the park opening,” Johnson said, "there was a group of about six young men who came rolling right up to the Thrive 900, not wearing shirts, super built, and they all just started to work out on it. I ran out there and started taking pictures, because they were the first people to really use the facility. They were like, ‘Hey, can we use this anytime?' And I was like, ‘Absolutely, that's what it's here for.' I see moms with kids, couples, and some hardcore athletes. I’ve seen people who look like they're serious fitness enthusiasts. I've noticed that there's a pretty good turnout of individuals early in the morning who come and utilize the Thrive 900. And then also more in the evening. I don't see so much in the middle of the day, but then in the middle of the day, I tend to see more people walking their pets.”

One regular dog walker is Mike Barrett, whose property is connected to the new park by a concrete walkway that runs along the waterway. Barrett regularly walks his Jack Russell, Koda, along the waterfront and through the park. “It is so convenient,” Barrett said.

Some residents have concerns about the clusia hedge that runs along the waterfront, fearing it will eventually diminish the park’s water view. Johnson said residents need not worry about the hedge.

"There's no intent to build the clusia up to a height that would impede the view of the water,” Johnson said. “The thought is that it will fill in nicely and make a hedge, which is important for us, because if we do have residents outside, escorted, of course, who have memory issues or confusion, they will be able to see the border, not just a straight shot to the water. The hedge will help them visually feel more secure. We will keep that clusia hedge well trimmed, and I wouldn't worry about it getting too tall."

Johnson couldn’t be more thrilled with the marriage between the park, the Watermark, and the Marco community.

"The park and our building couldn't be better,” she said. "It is seriously so rare to have a wide open green space on a waterfront in a destination location like Marco Island. People from literally around the world, the most educated, the most well-traveled people, choose to come to Marco Island. Every little piece of property is incredibly, extraordinarily expensive and valuable. And when you think about the fact that this space right here in the center of the island, on the water, is supporting seniors to be able to stay outdoors, how cool is that?”

The reaction to the park by residents of the Watermark is nothing short of overwhelming.

“They're walking over to the park right away,” Johnson said. “It's most explosively beautiful for some of our residents who transferred from a secure memory care community somewhere else in Collier County and maybe haven't been outside for a year or two because the community where they came from could not provide a safe access to green space outdoors. When they made the transition here, family was able to take a loved one by the hand and open the door and walk toward the water. And it's peaceful and quiet and flat and safe. We've seen their spirits really light up and come to life because of this amazing space right next to us. It's really huge to see a whole family burst into tears standing outside that green space because they realize that their husband and their dad and their loved one is reconnecting to nature again for the first time.

“Having a park next door is incredibly beneficial because it makes staying active easy. I didn't really get it until this week when we opened. You see somebody on a walker being able to easily access the outdoors. Someone who has macular degeneration or has challenges with wayfinding who can easily get turned around and confused about where they are can go down to the rail by the water. It's just a clean line, and it's quiet and it’s safe because it's one surface and it’s directionally one way. Then there's a real simple loop path to get around the park. Someone here who's maybe not dared go for a walk by themselves for a long time is just very enlivened. One of our very first residents said, 'I'm walking again because this is so easy.' It blows my mind. It makes me feel really excited. I knew it was going to be great to have green space, but I didn't realize how much it would help people stay independent.”

Johnson is determined to maintain the park, which is open during daylight hours, to the same high standards as the Watermark itself.

“The maintenance is pretty comprehensive,” she said. "When our housekeeping team arrives, they unlock the doors to the park’s bathrooms. We do one last check to make sure that all the trash has been removed. We wipe down the tables and the benches. We check to make sure there's no new pests. There's lighting to check. We make sure everything is in good repair in the morning, and then it's open for the day. And then in the evening, maintenance and housekeeping go out, clean the bathrooms, check to make sure everything's in good condition again, and then that's kind of how the days roll. And then we also have 24/7 security that we'll be starting next week. Our front desk will also just do a quick walk-through to make sure that there's safety in the park at night.”

Johnson’s goal is for the Watermark to become part of the Marco community. She sees the park as a key component in making that plan a reality.

“For Marco Island to have this location that's right in the heart of the island,” she said, "with all of the resources of Naples Community Hospital and City Hall and Marco Rescue is amazing. You couldn't ask for a more desirable setting. This is not your typical aging population. Marco Islanders are doing it right. They are active, they get access to nature, they love their friends, but they also understand and appreciate the joy of afternoons at a tiki bar, having a cocktail, and dancing. They're aging really well and they're very vibrant. Collier County adapted the Blue Zones way of life as a population health strategy back in 2015 to apply the attributes of staying healthy and aging well. I believe that Marco Island actually is a Blue Zones. It doesn't need to adapt the practices of the Blue Zones philosophy. It's a place where it is natural for people to live to 100 or longer. There's a sense of purpose. There's a sense of community. There's easy access to staying active. It's access to nature and vitamin D and fresh air and it's churches. Everybody seems very connected to their faith. There's a sense of fun. The last thing I would say is, by and large, the seniors who are living here today seem to have chosen to live in their happy place. So, at some point in their careers, they either chose to retire or move their families. And when they made that decision, they thought about a whole world of opportunities, and they chose Marco as their favorite place. I think just having that mentality of being positive and moving your life toward what makes you feel the best plays a role in longevity.”

Johnson hopes to eventually host events in the park that encourage community involvement.

"We've talked about, as we get more settled in here, hosting in partnership with the community and the city, maybe film in the park or maybe a concert, something generationally appropriate like big band swing. Maybe bring our dining program out as well. Anything we can do to help open it up so that everybody feels more connected to the Watermark.”

Johnson wants to emphasize that Castaway Park belongs to the Marco community. Her vision is for the community to be comfortable interacting with the Watermark.

“The park helps us to welcome more people,” she said. "The idea of security has come up. People always ask if we're really going to just let people walk right up to the Watermark if they want to, because the park is public and it's just right there. There's no gate, there's no lock. The clusia hedge is the closest thing that we have to any kind of sense of security. The answer is very intentional, which is we want for people to feel welcome, to walk up and to be part of this community. We don't want there to be a barrier between the Watermark and the community. And the park helps us to fulfill that vision.”

A nice feature of Castaway Park is a water station that is part of the restroom facility. Cyclists and pedestrians can stop by, get a drink, and fill their water bottles.

While finding the park can be a bit challenging, especially with the construction going on at the Urgent Care Center, Johnson said there are currently two access points. 

“There is a challenge right now in that the Heathwood Drive access to the park has been blocked off by construction for NCH. My guess is that those barricades will stay up until after the original urgent care has been demolished. Right now, there are two ways: you can turn into the Watermark and pass through the parking lot, and park right in front of the park. Or if you're a pedestrian, you can access through the public walkway right alongside San Marco Road and the Watermark. That is public access and it goes straight across the waterfront and then has a pathway entrance to the park from that direction.”