COUNTY — Last month, the Union County Board of County Commissioners announced that it planned to scale back designs for the Clark Reservoir in response to public concerns related to environmental challenges and the project’s potential impact on the neighboring community. And while county officials say the new plans — which include dredging the reservoir and adding a series of passive amenities like fishing piers and boat ramps to the area — represent a simpler, more eco-friendly approach to outdoor entertainment, some residents said Wednesday that the revised proposal may still be too complex for the surrounding area.

“The county has taken significant steps to address the concerns raised, including the removal of several elements that some felt did not fit with the natural character of the reservoir as well as amending some of the walking paths,” said Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded, chair of the Union County Board of County Commissioners, speaking during a regular meeting of the board last week. “Over the course of the past several months, we have been actively listening to your feedback through emails, comments and these meetings. I want to emphasize that the adjustments we have made to the project are a direct result of your input. Though not all suggestions have been implemented, a large percentage of your feedback has been integrated into the updated plan.”

Initial plans for the 150-acre reservoir included an ice rink, a carousel, a snack stand and an electric train ride, all of which have now been removed from the county’s proposal. A number of paved walking paths that would have come within several feet of private properties around the reservoir also have been scaled back or removed from the county’s concept drawings.

Clea Carchia, executive director of the Rahway River Watershed Association, said the county’s new designs are more appropriate for the environmentally- sensitive area and thanked the commissioner board for taking the public’s input to heart.

“We are hopeful that this will usher in a new era of transparency and cooperation between stakeholders and the County of Union,” Ms. Carchia said, speaking during the public-comment portion of Wednesday night’s meeting. “We are an organization that is dedicated to the protection and preservation of our natural resources, and we would like to see the county implement more nature-based projects in the future.”

Diana Gonzalez, a Clark resident and one of the founders of an ad hoc citizens’ group known as the Clark Reservoir Committee, said she appreciated the county’s efforts to revise the plan but was disheartened to learn that a public boat ramp slated for construction on Wendell Place would still be moving forward.

“Could we potentially move this to the bend at Madison Hill Road?” she asked. “I know there could still be some challenges there, but it would not impact residents in the same way.”

Approximately 15 residents, many of whom identified themselves as members of the committee, echoed similar concerns regarding the boat ramp and its potential impact on the neighboring residential community.

“If you cut down all of those trees, the noise from the Parkway and the police firing range will be life changing for those of us that live in that neighborhood,” Wendell Place resident Susan Scardilli said.

Clark resident Ed Robinson, meanwhile, said the county’s revisions felt disingenuous and added that the new plans could still pose challenges for residents in the area.

“I feel like you’re taking stuff out that was only put in there so that you would have something to negotiate with,” he said. “Also, I don’t think anyone involved in this project has ever even owned a canoe or a kayak, because if you had, you would know that you don’t need a full-scale boat ramp to launch them. This is unnecessary.”

Ms. Palmieri-Mouded said Wednesday that the county will not amend its plans for the reservoir now that the scaled-down revisions have been made public.

“At this point, the revised plans represent our final decision,” she said. “We have engaged in a thorough and thoughtful revision process, balancing preservation with recreational opportunities, and it is now time to move forward. We are confident that the plan we are presenting now strikes the right balance.” The next meeting of the Union County Board of County Commissioners will be held on Wednesday, September 25, at the County Administration Building in Elizabeth.

For more information, or to view the county’s revised concept plans for the reservoir, visit ucnj.org and click on the tab marked “Clark Reservoir Project.”