IPOC, Town & Key Club agree to try mediation

MELISSA REID
Associate Publisher
mreid@lbknews.com

The Longboat Key Club, the Town of Longboat Key, and Islandside Property Owner’s Coalition (IPOC) have agreed to seek a resolution to their differences through non-binding mediation, according to a press release issued by the town this Friday.

The mediation will be confidential and the mediator will be the Hon. George Greer of Clearwater, Florida, a retired circuit judge and certified mediator.  Judge Greer was agreed upon by all parties involved.

The mediation will take place on July 18 and only designated representatives of the parties and their counsel, together with the mediator, will be present.

IPOC filed a lawsuit against the town and the Longboat Key Club for passing the Key Club’s $400 million renovation plan. IPOC says the Key Club’s plan does not comply with the town’s codes and is too large in scale.

The mediation follows a month after all three parties made arguments before the Second District Court of Appeals, which has yet to make a ruling in the case.
IPOC and two condominium associations orginally petitioned the 12th Judicial Court, which then put an end to the development order in December 2011 by granting the challengers a writ of certiorari.

The town and the Key Club then appealed the writ of certiorari ruling, which is where the case stood at the time of the mediation agreement.