Commission approves Paraiso Beach Club rezoning and conditional use with 15-foot public beach access condition

The Collier County Commission unanimously approved a rezoning and conditional-use permit Oct. 14 to allow a private beach club on a 1.35-acre beachfront parcel near Vanderbilt Beach, subject to staff conditions and an explicit requirement that the club maintain a minimum 15-foot-wide sandy beach area to preserve public passage along the shore.

Applicant representatives presented a master plan that limits onsite parking (a shuttle service was proposed to transport members), includes dune restoration and sets building height limits. Staff recommended approval with 15 conditions intended to protect beach access, address sea turtle protections and minimize traffic. Supporters from the nearby neighborhood, several homeowners and local club operators said the project would provide a managed beach alternative and reduce crowding at other public access points.

Opponents told commissioners they were concerned that private clubs and hotels have in practice impeded public customary use of the beach and that language in the applicants conditions of use could be interpreted to allow chair-and-umbrella placements that block access to the waterline. Speakers cited Collier Countys Vanderbilt Beach customary-use ordinance (No. 2018-31) and asked that the board explicitly preserve the ordinances protections.

In response, planning staff and the applicant amended the conditions to explicitly preserve public passage: the approved motion included language requiring a maintained 15-foot sandy corridor to the high-water line so people can continue to walk the shoreline. Commissioners said public access protections and the staff conditions were determinative to their support.

Next steps: The applicant will comply with the conditions of approval, including dune remediation and the shuttle commitment; details will be enforced through the county's site-plan and permitting process.