A bigger and better Port Royal Club is one step closer to reality in Naples.
The city’s planning advisory board voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of the multimillion-dollar project, with a few added conditions.
Built in 1959, the one-story private club, steps from the Gulf of Mexico, served as a social hub for Port Royal residents for decades. The right to membership is one of the reasons the wealthy have flocked to the community, named for the famous Jamaican pirate haven.
Hurricane Ian wrought so much damage to the clubhouse that it could not be salvaged.
The planning advisory board has recommended approval of three petitions for the reconstruction.
City council will hear the petitions on June 19, making the ultimate decision on them.
For the project to move ahead as proposed, council must grant the conditional use for a new two-story clubhouse, and give a thumbs up to site-specific parking plans, including valet services. The roughly 5.5-acre site sits in a public service district, which allows for such a project, with a special exception.
With a West Indies look, fitting of its name, the reimagined clubhouse will meet the latest hurricane standards, while offering a larger footprint, with more dining options. The goal is to preserve the charm of it as much as possible, with a design that will stand the test of time, lasting another 70 years.
The building will be elevated, to meet the current guidelines, established by the Federal Emergency Mangement Agency.
A ‘devastating hole’
Dick Del Bello, president of the Port Royal Property Owners’ Association, urged the planning board to support the project, saying his board of directors is wholeheartedly behind it.
The loss of the club, he said, has left a “devastating hole” in the community.
It wasn’t just a building, it fed a “communal spirit” that has been sorely missed since September 2022, when Ian damaged it beyond repair, Del Bello lamented.
He added that he’s eager for construction to start on the “community jewel,” imploring the board to move it along, so it can be rebuilt as quickly as possible.
The club’s membership is capped at 700, but it’s less. Some members have resigned, due to the loss of the cherished clubhouse and the expected assessments to rebuild it, while others have just moved on, he said.
Neighborhood impacts discussed
While they ultimately recommended in favor of the project, planning board members asked pointed questions during the public hearing, raising concerns about traffic, parking and stormwater management, in particular.
Board chairman John Cross said he wanted to be sure the larger clubhouse didn’t disrupt the neighborhood, physically or visually. He wanted the project’s architect to walk through the design in more detail, and to explain how the project’s impact on its surroundings would be minimized.
First, architect Tim McCarthy, with Hart Howerton, assured the board that the club would continue to be a “good neighbor,” just as it had before and after Ian.
In making his point, he noted that contractors rebuilding an Ian-ravaged house next door have been allowed to use the club’s parking lot, for convenience, and easier access, to help the owners out, in their time of need.
Sharing the bigger picture, McCarthy said the project team had worked closely with the immediate neighbors on enhanced setback sand buffers, and they’re in support of the project on both sides. One wrote a letter to the city saying as much.
The new design would minimize noise, with the high-performance glazing on the windows and doors meant to protect the building against future storms, insulating sound as well, McCarthy said.
Parking and traffic questioned
Several board members questioned the sufficiency of the parking plans and whether road enhancements might be needed, such as a…
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