Greer Island could erode away if groins are moved to the south.

The town of Longboat Key has officially ‘appealed the appeal’ of the Islandside development order in an effort to get the project back on track after it was derailed last December in circuit court.

I am not self-appointed. On the contrary, I was appointed by the Longboat Key commission in 2003 to serve on a committee to study the need for a community center. At that time, the commission took this action because they had been presented with a petition, which contained 850 signatures from citizens wanting a community center. After over a year of research and study, the committee found that there was indeed a desire by many Longboat citizens to have a new facility. I’m sure you are very comfortable with your cosey (sic) life and have no needs but there is still a desire by many to have a place to gather and take part in activities that enrich our lives while meeting our neighbors in a social way. The community center will not be used by everyone.

We are willing to ignore, twist, bend and break our rules for certain VIP applicants, while the bottom feeders get treated as if they have no standing or significance — they are the Rosa Parks of our business community.

Why would investors ever choose to put their money into
commercial speculations on this island.

The Town Commission has decided that not only should they change whatever rules bothered the judge in the Longboat key Club lawsuit, but they should also go back and rewrite all the rules and codes.

What is occurring on Longboat Key involving the Key Club litigation could be a very costly zero-sum game. Since the commissioners have once again unanimously decided to adhere to their stance on the Key Club expansion proposal, they have created a situation where a developer stands to gain tens of millions of dollars from government-sponsored added value to what is currently golf course acreage. By doing so, the town government has inadvertently placed a huge financial burden on some residents, as they are now in the position of having to protect the value of their property.

Snowbirds returning to our island paradise undoubtedly know that things remain unsettled in the Middle East and that in Iraq the Shias and Sunnis are still killing each other because of a disagreement over the proper way to worship Allah.

The IPOC/Loeb Realty Partners decision gives the town the opportunity to retake control of their own destiny. The proposal by Loeb for a $400 million extravaganza of condos, hotels and a conference center was too much for a group of untrained community volunteers to assimilate so they just said ‘yes’ without considering the full extent of their folly.

As we look at the future of Longboat Key there are clearly two directions we can take. The one favored by the current commission appears to be toward more development, that is, high-rise condo-tels and tourist towers similar to what has befallen other Florida beach communities. The other direction points toward a community similar to Casey Key, which is predominately private residences.