Town must inspect Colony units

The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort’s planned re-opening Friday, Dec. 18 hinges on inspections of the property that will ensure the safety of the resort’s buildings.

The resort, located at 1620 Gulf of Mexico Drive, is re-opening three months after it suspended hotel operations, after receiving permission from a federal bankruptcy judge.

But the Colony Association Board of Directors, which is upset that the 100 units planned for re-opening will not be available for owner use, is questioning the safety of the buildings.

In federal bankruptcy filings, the association submitted an exhibit Dec. 2, which reveals that Sarasota-based Karins Engineering Group Inc. presented a report to the association in November that shows widespread termite infestation was found in all the buildings. Further investigation of the buildings needs to be performed to determine the safety of the resort’s continued occupancy, according to the report.

Wrote company owner David Karins in his report: “Based on observations and testing, it is our professional opinion that the villa buildings and beachfront residential buildings are not safe for occupancy as a result of deterioration, insect infestation and contamination.”

Said Colony Association Board Vice President Jay Yablon: “We don’t object to the Colony re-opening.
Whether the buildings are safe for occupancy is another matter that must be determined.”

The report was forwarded to town interim building inspector John Fernandez last week.

Fernandez requested a detailed copy of the inspection and said the town must inspect the buildings regardless, because Colony officials pulled a building permit last week to perform some work to the buildings in preparation of the re-opening.

“The Karins’ report insinuates the buildings are uninhabitable,” Fernandez said. “We don’t know whether that’s the case or not.”

The town, however, was alerted Monday that Colony owner and Chairman Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber has hired Apollo Beach-based Dansco Engineering to perform its own inspection of the property.

“The buildings will be inspected to make sure no structural concerns or life-safety issues exist,” Klauber said.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].