Town, Key Club and IPOC agree to mediation

The town, Longboat Key Club and Resort and the Islandside Property Owners Coalition have agreed to enter into nonbinding mediation in an effort to resolve their issues, according to a prepared statement.

Mediation will take place Wednesday, July 18, in Clearwater, with retired Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge George Greer, a certified court mediator who was mutually selected by the parties.

IPOC attorney Michael Furen declined to comment Friday afternoon.

“We’re not going to comment beyond the release,” he said.

Key Club attorney John Patterson and Town Attorney David Persson could not immediately be reached for comment.

The announcement of mediation comes a month after the parties made arguments before the Second District Court of Appeals, which has yet to rule in the case.

The appeal stems from the Longboat Key Town Commission’s June 2010 development order approving the Key Club’s proposed $400 million Islandside redevelopment-and-expansion plan.

IPOC and the L’Ambiance and Sanctuary condominium associations petitioned the 12th Judicial Court, which quashed the development order in late December by granting the challengers a writ of certiorari.

The town and Key Club then appealed the writ of certiorari ruling.

Mediation proceedings will be confidential with only designated representatives of the parties and their counsel, together with the mediator, allowed to be present.

For more information, pick up a July 12 copy of the Longboat Observer.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].