—Moments before strapping into his Ferrari 296 GTB at the Sebring International Raceway on Friday morning, Unicorp President and CEO Chuck Whittall had a clear message for the critics of the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort’s controversial beachfront archway: It’s staying classy, and it’s certainly not the Jersey Shore.
Whittall pushed back forcefully against the town’s Planning and Zoning Board, which recently recommended denying the ordinances that would allow the 14-foot metallic structure to remain on the resort’s private rock groin stretching into the Gulf of Mexico. Code enforcement has already cited the structure under the town’s strict sign code, leaving it draped and covered as the legal battles drag on.
“A comment was made not to be like the Jersey Shore; that is ridiculous and unfair since we are the only groin in town that is privately owned,” Whittall told Longboat Key News. “The ordinance was going to be restricted to resort properties that have a private groin, so it would become a non-issue.”
For Whittall, the arch isn’t just an architectural afterthought—it’s a critical component of the five-diamond experience he envisioned when pouring a half-billion dollars into the island’s premier destination.
“People love to create memories there, and it is an integral part of the wedding experience,” Whittall said. “Almost everyone wants to be photographed out there, and it is a great place to kiss. We have done everything classy there, and we are trying to do a classy thing. I went to the property the other day, and it is the only place you can put something like this.”
Addressing concerns that the arch is an exclusive corporate monument, Whittall clarified its accessibility. “It is open to the public; anyone can walk up and take pictures there,” he noted.
He didn’t mince words regarding the Planning and Zoning Board’s recent 3-2 vote to recommend denying the sign code amendment, stating simply: “The Planning and Zoning Board were not being forward-thinking.”
—A ‘Tremendously Successful’ Season
—Despite the regulatory hurdles, the St. Regis is experiencing a blockbuster inaugural season. Whittall reported that operations have been “tremendously successful” and “doing huge,” adding that both room rates and occupancy are “top of market.”
That success is bleeding over into the broader local economy. According to Whittall, Geoffrey Michel, owner of The Met clothing shop on St. Armands Circle, recently told him that business has “tripled at The Met since he opened the St. Regis.”
The resort isn’t done growing, either. Whittall revealed that the St. Regis will soon be adding two tennis courts and three pickleball courts to its sprawling amenities.
—A Standoff Over “Legal Gymnastics”
—Whittall’s morning remarks stand in stark contrast to the fiery, philosophical showdown that took place at the March 17 Planning and Zoning Board meeting. What was supposed to be a highly technical hearing over “private groin signs” quickly dissolved into a broader debate about the aesthetic future of Longboat Key.
To circumvent the island’s strict local sign codes, town staff and the resort’s legal counsel initially leaned on a specific legal strategy: claiming the archway serves a “public safety purpose” by identifying the responsible entity (St. Regis) for emergency responders.
The board didn’t buy it.
Board Member David Lapovsky called the justification “silly,” while Board Member S. Jay Plager agreed: “When I read that in the material, I put BS in the margin because it was so obviously bull.”
Brenda L. Patten, an attorney representing Whittall’s Unicorp, candidly acknowledged that the safety argument was primarily a legal maneuver to satisfy state law, which requires a “public purpose” for legislative zoning changes.
“The courts have said if the board approving such an ordinance has any public purpose… the courts will accept that determination,” Patten explained during the hearing. “You can have a hundred people in the audience saying, ‘We hate this. It’s terrible. It’s ruining my property values.’ The court doesn’t care. If there’s one legitimate public purpose in the ordinance, the court can ignore everybody who says this sucks.”
— “Tasteful” vs. “Developer Overreach”
—The debate deeply divided the board and residents. St. Regis Hotel Manager Cara Hardman delivered an emotional defense of the structure at the hearing, calling her team “memory makers” and displaying photos of proposals and families under the arch.
Plager offered his full support for the resort’s aesthetic. “This particular sign is tasteful, and I congratulate the gentleman who developed it,” he noted. “The die was cast back then to have a major commercial entity established on our otherwise little residential island… this little bit of archway and sign shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody.”
But Board Member Nicholas Gladding led the fierce opposition, warning of a slippery slope where other waterfront resorts might demand their own massive beachfront structures. “I don’t think it’s good policy,” Gladding warned. “We don’t want to see Longboat Key turn into the Jersey Beach.”
Local residents echoed those fears, urging the board to hold the line. Former Town Commissioner Maureen Merrigan characterized the ordinances as “legal gymnastics,” arguing that carving out an exception would inevitably lead to future demands from other developers. Diane Canny, a resident of neighboring Beach Place, called the arch a “developer overreach on a private, unique groin,” raising concerns about metallic glare and precedent.
—The Hurricane Fact-Check
—Tensions at the March meeting further flared during a brief fact-check. Developers initially praised the arch’s structural integrity, with Whittall noting it was built to withstand 150 mph winds and claiming it had already survived Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The board quickly pointed out that the hurricanes devastated the Gulf Coast in September 2024, but the arch wasn’t erected until August 2025. Whittall apologized at the time, stating he had been misinformed by his team.
—Eyes on May: A Commissioner Speaks Out
—Despite the advisory board’s rejection, the St. Regis arch is not ordered for removal just yet. The ultimate fate of the controversial structure—and a potential amendment to Longboat Key’s famously strict sign code—now rests entirely in the hands of the Town Commission, which will take up the issue in May.
But Whittall’s optimism regarding the Town Commission may face significant headwinds. At least one commissioner is already publicly vowing to push for the arch’s removal.
In a recent email exchange, Longboat Key resident William Pepe wrote to Town Commissioner BJ Bishop, expressing deep frustration over the resort’s “do it first and ask forgiveness later” approach.
“Many residents have already been troubled by the resort’s issues involving sea turtle lighting compliance and the circumstances surrounding its temporary certificate of occupancy,” Pepe wrote to the commissioner. “In that context, this latest action feels less like an oversight and more like part of a broader pattern of noncompliance. I respectfully urge the Town to support the Planning and Zoning Board’s position and require the St. Regis to remove the sign.”
Bishop’s response was swift and definitive, leaving little doubt about where she stands ahead of the crucial vote.
“I first raised this issue when the sign went up and I will continue to urge my colleagues we follow our sign code and have this removed,” Bishop replied. “I believe it is scheduled for our May meeting and I urge you to attend.”
Before firing up his engine at Sebring, Whittall reiterated his belief that his massive investment in Longboat Key earns him a seat at the table to make these kinds of aesthetic requests.
“If someone else spends a half-billion dollars to build a resort, they should have the right to ask for a wedding arch,” Whittall said. “It will not be an issue.”
Confident that the Town Commission will view the situation from a different, more economically minded perspective, Whittall expects the drape to come off and the arch to stand tall once again. It remains to be seen if the rest of the commission will agree with him, or side with Bishop and the Planning board.
