Pinellas County asks court's help to deal with Redington Long Pier

REDINGTON SHORES — County officials are asking the Pinellas circuit court to order the owner of the historic Redington Long Pier to repair, replace or remove the structure as soon as possible

The request for an injunction was filed Dec. 26 by Assistant County Attorney Jared D. Kahn against JERMC, Ltd., the pier’s owner.

JERMC is headed by longtime pier owner Tony Antonious.

A number of allegations relating to the pier’s unsafe condition are made in the county’s request. The pier’s closing by a county judge in 2006 “until repairs are made to the pier that would render it safe for public use” is noted.

Despite that order, Kahn wrote, the current situation is that “the pier does not meet the Florida Building Code requirements for live and wind loads and is in a precarious state of structural functionality. As late as December of 2018, storm and high winds have caused the pier to take substantial damage, including causing portions of the Pier to collapse into the waters below.”