No new private clubs in Palm Beach.
That’s the recommendation the Planning and Zoning Commission made to the Town Council during Tuesday’s meeting.
The Dec. 3 discussion was meant to be centered on whether Palm Beach should differentiate between for-profit and non-for-profit clubs in its governing document, but commissioners soon voiced their support for an outright ban.
Commissioner William Gilbane, who was in favor of differentiating between the different types of private clubs, said he thought an “outright ban wouldn’t be smart,” as the town has a history of private clubs coming and going. Instead, the town should be looking at limiting for-profit private clubs, since their business model encourages them to hold as many events as possible, he said.
However, his colleagues disagreed, as they argued the town had enough private clubs. “We need to know where we are going, and as far as I’m concerned, we are capped out already,” Commissioner Michael Vincent John Spaziani said.
Chair Gail Coniglio concurred, and noted that that the owners of the Esplanade are planning to propose a new private club in the space currently owned by Saks Fifth Avenue. She also referenced a potential proposal for a new private club at the former Neiman Marcus building.
“Why do we want them to be a 400-member private club, with the exception that they’re making money, because they are charging anywhere between $250,000 and $500,000 per member,” she said. “I agree with Mike: When do we say we’re capped?”
Gilbane didn’t disagree, but asked how the town could define that it has already reached its private club limit. He argued that the town could bar the development of private clubs in the town’s residential districts.
However, that wouldn’t stop the two clubs mentioned by Coniglio, as they would be located in the Worth Avenue Commercial Zoning district, said Alternate Commissioner Nicki McDonald.
Since the commission’s review was fueled by concerns over the traffic and development pressure of the private clubs already on the island, town planner Jennifer Hofmeister-Drew told the commission she agreed with barring new private club applications.
Also, the ban on new private clubs would give the town time to analyze the traffic pressure caused by the clubs currently on the island, she said.
The commission voted 5-2 to recommend to the Town Council a ban on all new private club applications. Gilbane and Commissioner John Tatooles cast the nay votes, while McDonald voted in place of Vice Chair Eric Christu.
Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at dlasa@pbdailynews.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Planning board calls for ban on all new private club applications