Sea Oaks members have approved a controversial $6.5 million upgrade of the community’s beach club that is intended to keep the tennis-oriented north island enclave competitive with other Vero Beach country club communities like John’s Island, Orchid Island and Grand Harbor.

The renovation plan, backed by Sea Oaks’ management team and board of directors, faced serious opposition from a sizable and well-organized group of residents.

After a bitter battle between the two opposing groups, the final vote on the project was 328 in favor and 194 against. Opponents of the project had hoped to get 40 percent of the votes, which they believed would allow them to stall the project under association bylaws, but they fell just short, garnering only 37 percent.

Sea Oaks General Manager Shain Rodrigues said, “This capital improvement project, a comprehensive $6.45 million renovation of our premier beach club and iconic oceanfront gazebo, represents a significant investment in the club’s long-term vision, blending classic coastal elegance with contemporary, indoor-outdoor lifestyle amenities.”

John Manna, president of the Sea Oaks Property Owners Association, called the final decision in favor of the project, which will tear down the present gazebo and replace it with a two-story structure, an “overwhelming vote of support.” Manna said the beach club and gazebo “have always been the heart of our community, where neighbors become lifelong friends.”

The renovation also includes an expanded, upgraded open-air dining area with covered and uncovered terrace seating that will “maximize panoramic ocean views,” according to the club. There will be “sleek, updated finishes and structural upgrades designed to elevate the arrival experience and overall aesthetic of the beachside property.”

Renovation is slated to begin next summer, with the construction schedule “structured to minimize disruptions to seasonal club activities.” No specific end date for the renovations has been set.

The project is being designed by Peacock + Lewis, Florida’s premier country club architects who have completed numerous acclaimed buildings in Vero, including The Moorings clubhouse and Quail Valley’s golf clubhouse and Royal Palm Pointe facility, along with recent renovations of Orchid Island’s golf clubhouse and Grand Harbor’s beach club.

There are about 620 houses, cottages and condos in Sea Oaks. With long-term financing, project costs will result in an increase in monthly maintenance fees of about $80, depending on prevailing interest rates, according to club management. But opponents of the project said they fear the eventual costs would go higher as the governing board acknowledged that a variety of conditions could push costs up.

Opposition to renovations in club communities that increase monthly costs, especially at Sea Oaks, is nothing new. A $3.8 million project undertaken in Sea Oaks 10 years ago involved remodeling the Georgian-style beach club, and another renovation in 2008 included a new fitness center. Both projects faced opposition from fiscally conservative residents. At the time of the 2016 renovation, management said the beach club enhancements would last at least 20 years, but they ended up coming back for more in half that time.

This time, however, the opposition seemed to be better organized than during past renovation controversies. The opposing group had a formal name, the Fiscal Responsibility Group, its own website and email chain, and even its own rival plan prepared by Christopher Williams, an architect who has been a Sea Oaks resident since 2018.

Williams said his plan could be done at a fraction of the cost and in much less time as the club’s official proposal, minimizing disruptions for residents. His rival plan did not involve a two-story cupola for the beach club gazebo, which he viewed as unnecessary.

“The proponents of the project had their valid points, and I presented valid counterpoints,” Williams said in a group email to Sea Oaks residents. “When presented with a yes or no, then one must choose, and I voted no. This project was ill-conceived and untimely. There were many other options that should have been explored.”

After the final vote was in, however, Williams said the proposed renovation now appears to be a “done deal,” adding that he’s ready to “move on” and doesn’t care to discuss it anymore.

Other residents of the beach and tennis club that straddles State Road A1A and has its own traffic light to facilitate crossing between the lagoon side with lush tropical trees and the ocean side, aren’t quite ready to let it go, although it isn’t clear what alternatives they have left beyond selling out and leaving.

“This is an extravagant waste of money,” said one resident who voted no but asked to remain anonymous for fear of antagonizing neighbors. “It was sold as though we’re on the level with golf resorts like John’s Island and Grand Harbor (which both have beautiful beach clubs), but we’re not!”

The recent dispute seemed to highlight a growing division among Sea Oaks residents, with some of the newer, younger residents favoring expansion projects, while some older residents resist change.

“We are struggling with the nouveau riche who want fine dining and think that by remodeling our beach club they will have a better dining experience. There seems to be trend to go for the showy and expensive [these days]” said Carlo Rietveld, who has lived in Sea Oaks for more than two decades. “Quality is secondary. Sea Oaks used to be a bit of an exception, but probably not anymore.”

Rodrigues, the general manager, acknowledged that the ownership group at Sea Oaks is evolving, and that the current project is designed to keep pace with that evolution.

“The planned enhancements are designed to address the evolving desires of the club’s growing, multigenerational membership,” Rodrigues said. “This investment reflects not only our commitment to preserving the unique character of Sea Oaks, but also our vision for enhancing the member experience for generations to come.”