Town sends compliance agreement to Half Moon house owner

Get it done by June 1.

That’s the gist of the proposed compliance agreement the town of Longboat Key has sent to the owner of what is known as the Half Moon House on Gulfside Road.

Located at 6541 Gulfside Road more seaward than any other Gulf-facing property on Longboat Key, the town has stated its concerns with the structural health of the 1973 bungalow on stilts. The town’s building official has declared the building unsafe; the town has cut off water, sewer and electric service, and now it is seeking a condemnation and demolition order. In March, the Town Commission retained a law firm to represent the town for any potential legal challenges to the condemnation and demolition order.

The reasons for the possible demolition are mainly due to the state of the support beams, or pilings, on which the house sits. According to a pile assessment report by a marine structural engineering firm, 80% of the pilings on the building have rot or splits, and the town wrote in a June 2025 letter to the property owner that the structure is “hazardous to neighboring properties and the public due to its likely collapse from marine environment, wave action and/or tropical storm events.”

The latter is the reason for the town’s June 1 deadline.

“The town’s most pressing and primary concern is seeking the immediate abatement of the structural integrity issues associated with the residential structure,” Planning and Zoning Director Allen Parsons wrote in an email. “Shoring up the structure is needed before the start of hurricane season (June 1).”

The owner of the property, Donda Mullis, has retained counsel to fight against the demolition of the property, which she purchased for more than $4 million in 2023.

“On March 27, 2026, the owner’s legal counsel, attorney Stephen Rees, sent correspondence to the town requesting the town enter into a compliance agreement with the owner, the building official and town manager, and requested an extension of time of sixty days (60) days for the abatement of the unsafe and unfit conditions,” the compliance agreement states.

The town did not agree to a 60-day extension, instead countering with the proposed compliance agreement that includes deadlines for steps on April 22, April 30, May 15 and June 1 (see box). Mullis said April 17 that she had just gotten out of a meeting with town leaders “working towards a resolution for all…with strict deadlines.” 

Parsons said the compliance agreement is expected to be signed Monday, April 20.