Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Docks Piers topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council asks staff to draft bay‑front dock rules for Aqualane Shores after neighbors and marine contractors weigh in
Summary
Staff proposed moving pier and boat‑lift standards into the city’s Water Resources chapter; because Aqualane Shores has no clear Naples Bay pier standard, council asked staff to draft neighborhood‑specific regulations (drawing on Port Royal/Royal Harbor examples) and to return with depth surveys and proposed text.
Naples staff asked council on April 13 to move dock and boat‑lift standards from supplemental residential code into the Water Resources chapter for consistent administration citywide, and to prioritize new rules for Aqualane Shores’ Naples Bay frontage where no bay‑front standard exists.
Staff noted most existing bay‑front piers predate the current code, and replacements are difficult to permit: in neighborhoods that face open bay conditions a 25‑foot protrusion limit can be impractical or push applicants toward state submerged‑land leases and potentially harmful dredging. Marine contractors and designers told council the city needs clearer, site‑sensitive rules that balance navigation and natural resources protections against reasonable boating access.
Marine contractors (Jim Calvin, Jeff Rogers, Alex Garland) urged targeted, geography‑aware standards — for example, rules that require longer piers where bay bathymetry supports them, coupled with side‑setback offsets so long piers don't unfairly intrude on neighbors or navigation channels. Neighbors from Coquina Sands and other areas testified about narrow channels and sightline concerns on proposed developments; staff said any new code will include navigation protections and will avoid incentivizing dredging of natural bay bottoms.
Council gave staff direction to draft code changes that move dock standards into chapter 52 and to return with tailored language and the necessary surveys for Aqualane Shores. Staff said general site‑specific standards and DEP permitting will continue to apply and that state submerged‑land lease questions should be handled case‑by‑case.
What’s next: staff will prepare draft Water Resources code language and a specific Aqualane Shores proposal (including depth surveys and mapping) for future workshops and PAB consideration.
