No good deed goes unpunished

This is a Longboat Key classic: The town and owner of the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort are now fighting in court over a small sign.

It’s so Longboat.

Photo by S.T. Cardinal

The sign is atop an archway that St. Regis owner/developer Chuck Whittall installed on the 60-year-old Makepeace groin that was one of the late Murf Klauber’s pride and joys when he owned and operated the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort.

For Whittall, the archway and sign have become a popular attraction for St. Regis guests to take “selfies” and spread the accolades of St. Regis and Longboat Key all over the world. You can’t buy that kind of advertising.

But for the town, rules are rules. Achtung! 

To be frank, if you believe the town’s lawsuit is factual, Whittall didn’t follow Longboat’s rules to the “T.” He didn’t specifically apply to the town for a sign permit as the town requires.

When the town called him on it, he asked the town to change the code in his behalf.

Egad, the zoning board said. We can’t do that. If we do that for the guy who resurrected a dilapidated, abandoned and rat-infested property; invested nearly $1 billion to develop the region’s most spectacular resort (which provides hundreds of jobs, will raise property values and draw wealthy, money-spending tourists to the region) … what if every property on the beach wanted to erect a similar sign? We can’t set a precedent, the zoning board said.

Whittall being Whittall — bold, risk-taking, visionary entrepreneur (and builder of great real estate developments all over Florida) — essentially said, “Fine, sue me.”

Well, that is what the courts are for in our democracy — to settle disputes.

It’s lamentable when two parties end up in the courts. The common refrain is that the only winners are the lawyers who argue their clients’ cases.

But as always, all of this could have been avoided. Yes, Whittall could have/should have followed the town procedures. Our guess is he knew the town would say no.

But here is what is missing too often in disputes between citizens and their governments: The government’s first response typically is “No. The rules don’t allow it.” But the government’s second response should be: “Let’s see if we can find a way to make it work.” Rarely does that occur.

You can understand Whittall’s exasperation. He risked nearly $1 billion to add a new landmark to Longboat Key. In return, surely it feels like no good deed goes unpunished.