Bodega Bay's Sandpiper restaurant to move

After a two-year battle with its landlord, Bodega Bay?s Sandpiper restaurant has agreed to move out this fall.

The two sides announced Friday they had reached a settlement on the eve of a court trial.

Steve Weissmann, president of the Old Dock, the corporation that that owns the restaurant, said the Sandpiper will move in November from Porta Bodega to a nearby site on Highway 1. It will replace Cioppino, another Old Dock restaurant.

County officials have said the restaurant building has significant structural problems, especially with earthquake safety. The building sits near the San Andreas fault.

In a joint press release, the two sides said the cost could be prohibitive for the building to be improved to meet the earthquake codes. Given the county requirements, the release said, ?it became clear to both sides that there was no reasonable way to resolve the issues with the county.?

The Sandpiper this year collected signatures from more than 6,000 people urging the property owner, Newport Beach real estate investor Richard Battaglia, to allow the restaurant to remain.

The two sides met in court Monday for an eviction battle, but soon were ordered to begin mediation efforts.

Battaglia?s attorney and staff had argued the Sandpiper?s owners must move because they hadn?t fixed long-standing violations of county building codes, including additions made without permits.

But Weissmann and his attorney argued that nearly all the disputed building work was made by a previous tenant, and the current owners shouldn?t be held responsible for the improvements.

Weissmann said Friday the settlement included a confidentiality clause that prevented him from commenting on many matters. But he said he was relieved the two sides had reached a settlement.

In November, he said, Old Dock will operate only two restaurants, the Sandpiper and the River Inn Grill in Guerneville.

Battaglia?s attorney, Ethan Glaubiger of Santa Rosa, said his client will work with the county to meet its demands to either bring the restaurant building up to code or have it condemned.