COUNTY — Union County’s plans to launch a large-scale renovation project on the shores of the Clark Reservoir have elicited mixed responses from nearby residents who say the project may be too large, too commercialized and too out of character with the surrounding wetlands area to truly benefit the community.

Plans for the site, which were shared by Clark Township officials earlier this month, include walking trails, a small motorized train system, an ice rink, a playground, a concession stand, a picnic area, a boathouse, a carousel, a fishing pier, a small county administration building, football and soccer fields, a boat ramp, a stormwater-management basin and five parking areas totaling 140 spaces.

“I think a lot of people are still pretty confused about what this project is going to entail,” Clark resident Diana Gonzalez said, speaking during a regular meeting of the Union County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday. “There have been a lot of rumors, and it’s concerning.”

Ms. Gonzalez shared some thoughts on the project that she had gathered from her neighbors after seeing the county’s preliminary plans online.

“This would be a great idea if the intent was to create a more passive area with a more natural feel,” she said. “This property should be left as open space, not converted into a theme park.”

County Manager Ed Oatman said Thursday that he and other county officials plan to schedule a public conversation with the residents of Clark over the coming weeks to discuss the project in greater detail.

“I am aware of all of the comments that have been posted to the Clark Neighbor’s Forum [a private Facebook group], but I just wanted to point out that there have been plenty of positive comments in support of the project as well,” Mr. Oatman said.

In an application drafted by CME Associates and submitted to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in April, county officials noted that the project also includes plans “to mechanically dredge the reservoir, which has suffered from extreme siltation and sedimentation issues throughout the years exacerbated by ongoing flooding issues in the surrounding area.”

The dredging efforts, county officials said, will “increase the aesthetic value of the reservoir and increase the flood storage capacity.”

The county, which plans to allocate roughly $18 million in state and federal funds to the project, also intends to clear the shorelines of garbage, debris and invasive plant species before beginning construction.

“I’m glad to hear you want to dredge it,” Clark resident Delia Collins said. “If you go over by Featherbed Lane, you could probably walk across the reservoir; that’s how thick the undergrowth has gotten.”

But while she said she hoped the county’s plans to clean up the area would move ahead, she added that she worried that the more invasive aspects of the project could cause unintended problems for the local community and the environment.

“What do carousels and train rides have to do with Open Space?” she asked. “People don’t want this stuff in their backyards.”

Bruce Paterson, a resident of Garwood, echoed similar sentiments.

“This feels like 10 pounds of stuff in a five-pound bag,” he remarked.

The reservoir, located along the Robinson’s Branch of the Rahway River, was created in 1907 by Middlesex Water as part of a municipal supply system that remained in use until 1970. In the years that followed, county residents developed an affinity for the property, which, according to local history reports, became a popular destination for fishing, bird watching and picnicking. In the mid-1990s, however, the water company balked at a federally- mandated, $1.4-million dam upgrade and announced that it planned to drain the reservoir to avoid the expense. In response, an ad hoc citizens’ group known as the Robinson’s Branch Reservoir Preservation Committee petitioned the township of Clark to assume ownership of the property to ensure its future as a natural resource. The challenges associated with upkeep and maintenance, however, proved to be too costly a burden for the township to bear, and the reservoir was eventually sold to the county for $1 in 2008.

Since then, the area has fallen into a state of near perpetual neglect. Nearby residents, especially those whose properties border the waterway, have frequently reported concerns related to flooding, trash and debris in and around the reservoir.

Earlier this year, Mr. Oatman told The Westfield Leader/HAWK that an environmental group who has held an easement around the waterway since 1997 was holding up the county’s plans. As of the date of publication, it was unclear whether an agreement had been reached, as requests for comment by the county were not immediately returned.

The next meeting of the Union County Board of County Commissioners will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5, at the County Administration Building in Elizabeth.