Port-Grimaud residents seek secession from Grimaud

Co-owners of Port-Grimaud, a private lakeside residential area in the Saint-Tropez gulf, have launched a formal procedure to secede from the commune of Grimaud. The move follows years of legal disputes regarding the management of the area's unique infrastructure.

Until 2022, port activities and water management were handled by co-ownership associations. However, the municipality of Grimaud took over management, citing chronic deficits and the need for investments to address silting and rising sea levels. The municipality also terminated dock concessions, offering 35-year usage guarantees instead.

In response, 201 co-owners—representing the required one-third of the electorate—filed a petition for secession. Proponents of the split, such as the group Port-Grimaud 2028, argue that the municipality is attempting to seize private assets and force owners to fund massive public works projects.