Naples City Manager to decide fate of Four Seasons porte cochere by mid-February

Whether Four Seasons' Naples Beach Club can have a covered drop off or porte cochere and how large it can be is now up to City Manager Jay Boodheshwar, who is expected to decide by mid-February.

The main issue, in addition to architects asking for a major design change after site plans were approved, is that a proper porte cochere for a five-star hotel such as this one being built on Gulf Shore Boulevard will break set-back rules. These minimum distances required around a building are set forth in the city's Land Use Ordinance.

The 216-room hotel is under construction by The Athens Group where the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club stood for 70 years.

Naples City Council sent the decision back to Boodheshwar after considering three proposals in three months from Beach Club architect Hart Howerton. Council members couldn't decide on whether to allow Four Seasons to build the covered driveway cover most said a five-star hotel should have.

That decision is expected to be made by mid-February, according to Monique Barnhart-Tiberio, Naples communications and public outreach manager, who responded to an email sent to Boodheshwar.

"A decision has not been made," she wrote Feb. 1. "Jay will be reviewing and making a consideration by mid-February."

While Four Seasons would like to have a three-car porte cochere, it has only presented plans for up to two cars, and even presented a one-car proposal, which architects said would not do and one called it "functionally inept."

Hart Howerton partner Tim McCarthy in January also offered a plan to combine two of the proposals for two-car coverage but with the shorter, flatter roof of the one-car proposal.

Earlier: Naples City Council sends Four Seasons porte cochere plan back to city manager to decide

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples city manager to decide on Four Seasons porte cochere mid month