- December 13, 2025
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The arched sign saga continues.
Chuck Whittall, president of Unicorp National Developments which developed St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, showed up at Town Commission Chambers on Monday to make his case for a metal arched sign code enforcement has taken issue with.
“The reason we decided to build a sign on it is not for advertising, not to generate business for St. Regis. It’s because the four most said words on our pier are ‘will you marry me?’ We have that said once every other day out there at the St. Regis Hotel,” Whittall said. “It’s not tacky. I think it’s very nice. We’ve had tons and tons of compliments on it. If you go on Instagram, you see hundreds of pictures that have already been posted with it. It doesn’t drive business, it drives memories.”
The metal arched sign on a converted pier had an order to be taken down because it violated the town’s sign code. The town has since given permission to the resort to leave the sign up while a potential code amendment continues in discussion. The Town Commission voted against instructing staff to draft an amendment to allow the arch at a meeting last week.
Whittall said Unicorp’s lawyer, Brenda Patten, told him they did not need a permit from the town to erect the sign and that the permit from the State of Florida sufficed and that he didn’t think the town allowing it would set a precedent for the town because there aren’t any other resorts with piers.
He also gave an update on the resort’s progress of completing steps required to receive a certificate of occupancy from the town.
He said Unicorp has been working to find clear, floodproofing paint that the town’s consultant would sign off on. But, he said, that it has been a frustrating process with requirements that changed after a new building official started with the town.
He said St. Regis and the town were close to coming to an agreement to proceed with the weatherproofing and receive a permanent certificate of occupancy.
Music to Mayor Ken Schneier’s ears, who said at the workshop Monday that the progress on the resort receiving a certificate of occupancy would sway his vote if taken again today.
After 30 minutes of discussion, the Town Commission decided to put the topic on the agenda of the next meeting on Dec. 8.
“My vote was related very much to the certificate of occupancy,” Schneier said. “If a CO were issued and it sounds like there’s been a lot of progress made on that, I would change my vote and as one vote of seven I would say yes, let’s ask staff to proceed with the two amendments that would be necessary to leave the arch where it is and move on with the celebrations.”
