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…