LAST STAND PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

October 9, 2008

(Key West, FL, October 9, 2008) - Last Stand has agreed to settle a lawsuit that challenged an improper decision by the city of Key West to allow transient license transfers from Pritam Singh's Parrot Key development to city neighborhoods. The suit sought to overturn a 2006 resolution of the City Commission which changed a key land development regulation prohibiting such transfer without the legally required public notice and public hearing.

"We are happy to bring this legal action to a close," said Last Stand President Al Sullivan, "and very happy there is now less chance our neighborhoods will be overrun with transient units, and the problems that come with them."
  
Sullivan said Last Stand had asked the city to stand by the original law which restricts extra transient licenses in commercial districts to those districts only.  He said overturning the law without notice could have set precedent for further inroads into the public's right to be heard on important city issues.

"Discussions with the city and requests and meetings just didn't work," Sullivan noted. "Our only other option was the courts, and the judge agreed with our point of view."

Sullivan emphasized that Last Stand tries to work with local elected officials at every opportunity to help protect the environment and local neighborhoods, and balance environmental protection with our unique community character.  "Quite often our efforts are successful - but once in a while we have no choice but to raise money and hire an attorney," he said.  "Through creative and precise legal work (by our attorney Eric Dadd, Esq.), we were able to overcome Pritam Singh's strenuous legal attempt to uphold the improper elimination of this important protection for affordable housing in Key West's residential neighborhoods."
  
"Lawsuits such as this one cost citizens twice -  first we have to raise money to finance litigation and then we have to pay again as taxpayers to defend the city," Sullivan said.  "It makes a lot more sense to just do things right in the first place and avoid the time and expense of citizens' taking their own government to court."

The settlement must still be approved by Judge Mark Jones.  Jones has already denied motions by the city and Pritam Singh to dismiss this case, agreeing with Last Stand that a land development regulation could not be eliminated by a resolution approving Mr. Singh's development.

Sullivan noted that Last Stand's track record in the courts is quite successful.  "When there is no other choice and we have had to go the legal route, we often are on the winning side," he commented.  Sullivan also thanks members of Last Stand and the public for contributing funds to make this all possible.

Last Stand is a Keys-wide environmental group of volunteers who for over twenty years has worked to protect the ecological system and the quality of life in Key West and the Florida Keys.