Settlement reached in Harbourside Place case, entertainment complex to pay $40,000 penalty

JUPITER, Fla. — A settlement has been reached between Harbourside Place in Jupiter and town officials after the entertainment complex hosted free events without having proper permits.

Under the deal, which was announced at a magistrate hearing on Wednesday morning, Harbourside Place will have to a penalty of around $40,000, instead of the original $300,000.

According to town officials, Harbourside has admitted to 20 violations of the town code, and will pay a fine and costs for 11 of the violations and only costs for the remaining nine.

The agreement applies to 20 violations, to which Harbourside has admitted, and the town said they have agreed not to prosecute the remaining 35 violations of law.

RELATED: Jupiter residents ask town to stop fining Harbourside Place

The agreement essentially outlines the following:

• Harbourside will pay a fine of $35,200 and fees of $5,568.68 to the Town.
• The Town will allow events including car shows, yoga classes and green markets to resume at Harbourside.
• The Town will permit up to 12 Class A and up to 4 Class B special events per year at Harbourside, administratively approved by the Town Manager providing proper paperwork is submitted (permits, etc.). The events may include amplified events such as concerts.

Those fees cover legal and staff time spent on the various violation cases.

Under the deal, public events like yoga, farmers markets, and classic car shows can resume once the penalty is paid.

"Compliance is not about fines, it's about achieving compliance," said Thomas Baird, the Jupiter town attorney.

Jupiter town officials released this statement about the settlement: