The Collier County Commission’s approval Oct. 14 of Paraiso Beach Club on Vanderbilt Beach focused on ensuring that a private beach club won’t impede public beach access when the club opens in mid-2027. 

County commissioners received correspondence from citizens concerned that the members-only club might keep the public from enjoying that public beach area in North Naples.  

“Could you just in a half a nutshell explain that to the public — know that they’re still going to be able to walk back and forth?” Commission Chair Burt Saunders asked Rich Yovanovich, the land use attorney with the Naples-based Coleman Yovanovich Koester law firm, who represented applicant Paraiso Beach Club LLC. 

Similar to existing exclusive clubs along Vanderbilt Beach, Paraiso is not seeking to change the public’s ability to walk up and down the beach and is not going to block the beach all the way to the water, Yovanovich said.  

“So we should modify the one condition that talks about the boundaries being to the water, to the Gulf … to say we will retain a 15-foot sandy beach area between the high water line and we’ll maintain a 15-foot sandy beach area from the high water line,” he said. “That will allow the public to continue to walk up and down the beach.” 

Paraiso Beach Club is planned at 10025 Gulf Shore Drive, just south of Vanderbilt Beach Access No. 4 and immediately north of La Playa Beach & Golf Resort in North Naples. County commissioners unanimously approved rezoning and conditional use petitions for the private beach club on two small residential lots totaling about 1.35 acres on Gulf Shore Drive near its intersection with Bayview Avenue.  

Although a minimum 15-foot swath of beachfront property along the shoreline will allow public beachgoers to walk along Vanderbilt Beach, Saunders said the county has had complaints in the past with some beachfront hotels blocking public access.  

“Florida law just changed, I think, this past year to make it clear that the public does have the right to traverse the beach,” he said.  

Paraiso Beach Club is planned across two small lots on Gulf Shore Drive near its intersection with Bayview Avenue in North Naples. Rendering courtesy Bowman Consulting

Among the speakers who signed up to talk in person or via Zoom at the Oct. 14 public hearing was Miguel Lopez, a longtime resident and frequent visitor of Vanderbilt Beach, who spoke in opposition to the club proposal.  

“I want to share my concern that our beach, which is public by law and by tradition, is slowly being taken over by private interest,” Lopez said. “Right now, Vanderbilt Beach already has three hotels, two beach clubs, two timeshares and multiple condos. Each fills the sand with rows of lawn chairs, often empty. That’s a major problem. A lot of lawn chairs are empty, just taking up space, leaving little room for everyday residents. If we continue approving private beach clubs and high-density developments, we’ll turn this shared beach into a patchwork of private zones.” 

Lopez said he has personally been yelled at or told to leave the beach area for activities such as simply cast-netting at La Playa, The Floridian Club and Gulf Pointe of Naples resort. “They’ve all kicked me out and told me to leave because it’s a private beach, and it’s not. Even though the Vanderbilt Beach ordinance clearly states the beach is public from Wiggins Pass down to marker 31.5, which is all the way down to the end almost of Bay Colony. So the whole beach is basically public.” 

Saunders told Lopez that if he is ever ordered off the beach, he should contact the county commissioners’ offices and they will deal with it and won’t permit that to happen. 

“Just so you know, this board’s very committed to making sure that the public has fully legal access to our beaches,” Saunders said. 

Naples Park resident Marsha Oenick wanted assurance that Vanderbilt Beach’s customary use ordinance 2018-31 will continue to protect the public’s longstanding use of Vanderbilt Beach. “It shall be unlawful for any person to create, erect or construct any fence structure or barrier or restraint within Vanderbilt Beach,” the ordinance reads in part. 

Membership to Paraiso is open to anyone, the club states. Plans include resort-style pools, private cabanas, a wellness spa and three restaurants, including fine dining and an open-air bar and grille, all with covered balconies. The club will provide a dedicated shuttle service for members and staff because no parking will be permitted on site except for those with special needs. The club’s hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., although access to the beach and pools will cease an hour after sunset.  

“We are grateful to the Collier Board of County Commissioners for their decision to approve our application,” said David Tingley, president of Paraiso Beach Club, in a news release. “This marks an incredible milestone for our team, and we’re excited to move into the next phase of planning and development. We’re confident that Paraiso will bring a new level of coastal luxury to North Naples by creating a welcoming space for members to experience the very best of our beaches.”