(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Hillsborough County officials agreed to suspend their lawsuit against Clear Channel Entertainment on Wednesday and to try again to compromise with the music industry giant, which showed a renewed spirit of cooperation after suffering a major legal setback earlier this week. Talks regarding the noise limitations at the CCE-run Ford Amphitheatre broke down in February after just one day of negotiations.
“We are hopeful that this stand-down period will give both parties the opportunity to work toward a fair and reasonable resolution,” Richard Garrity, executive director of the county’s Environmental Protection Commission, said in a statement from CCE and the county.
The two sides have until October 28th to reach a compromise, before the county’s lawsuit becomes active again. A hearing planned for late August was delayed until the end of November.
Both sides agreed that they would not discuss the ongoing negotiations with the media. They released a short statement explaining what was planned for meetings, according
“We are working with the EPC to finalize a broad package of architectural, structural and administrative changes at our own expense,” said the amphitheater’s executive director, Ed Morrell, in the release. “(We’re) confident they will address the EPC’s and neighbors’ concerns.”
Morrell said CCE would work with the EPC on “sound standards that can provide the foundation for permanent improvements and fair, evenly applied rules.”
EPC attorney Mark Bentley agreed to drop a second lawsuit against Clear Channel that he filed on behalf of two residents who complained that concerts disrupted their neighborhood. That case will be renewed if a compromise isn’t reached.
This newfound cooperation comes after a Hillsborough County court dealt CCE its biggest legal blow since the EPC filed suit in January, ruling Monday that the company’s amphitheater isn’t exempt from local noise laws.
On Tuesday, Eminem and 50 Cent’s blockbuster “Anger Management Tour III” was moved from the disputed shed to the nearby indoor St. Pete Times Forum in downtown Tampa. –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
