Chiles drops Jordan House plan

Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub owner Ed Chiles announced last night that he will not pursue a plan to use the historic Rufus P. Jordan House for receptions and meeting space.

He also plans to discontinue major events for the restaurant, including fireworks for the Fourth of July and the Fish Fry fundraiser for the Longboat Key Historical Society.

Chiles announced at last night’s regular Longboat Key Town Commission meeting that he plans to pull his site plan for the restaurant “because of all the misinformation.”

Village residents emailed the Longboat Key Town Commission en masse earlier last month after the commission approved the plan on first reading. The plan would have increased the restaurant’s seating by 11 spots and add a meeting room and deck to the Jordan House.

Residents worried about a potential increase of 151 seats — the total maximum occupancy required by the state fire marshal — although Chiles had said he wouldn’t put more than 60 people in the structure.

Chiles said last night that he will resubmit plans to build the tree house with 11 additional seats, most likely in October.

For more information, pick up a June 6 copy of the Longboat Observer.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].