One neighborhood battle took one step toward armistice Tuesday evening, while another continued in earnest.

Michael Halpern, representing the historic Southernmost House and the property across the street from it, told city commissioners that he will close the bar at the Southernmost House to the public next month.

At the same time, Halpern received unanimous approval at the commission meeting to convert the house at 1401 Duval St. into a five-room guesthouse. The approval was not contingent on the closing of the other property's bar.

Halpern's plan may ease ongoing opposition from attorney Hugh Morgan, who lives next to the Southernmost House and has frequently complained of noise violations stemming from the bar and special events at the venue.

"I have taken all the nonsense I am going to take, but I will have a beautiful guesthouse [at Southernmost House] that will be restricted to the people staying there," Halpern said. "I am no longer willing to be beaten on by the city. It is my intention to move events from the Southernmost House across the street to 1401 Duval St."

Morgan was not at the commission meeting, but submitted a letter restating his concerns about noise from both properties. His daughter, Marcela Morgan, emphasized the family's noise concerns at the meeting.

Halpern also told Commissioner Clayton Lopez that he is amenable to a meeting among Lopez, Hugh Morgan and himself to, as Lopez said, "See what we can do to seriously bring some peace to this neighborhood."

But Lopez did not achieve the peace he sought with regard to a settlement agreement between the city and homeowners at Shipyard Condominiums.

The agreement, approved by a 5-2 vote, allows construction necessary to grant Waste Management trucks access to the Shipyard trash compactor via Angela Street in Bahama Village, which is outside the gated community.

"This is morally wrong," said Lopez, whose district includes Bahama Village.

He opposed the noise and distraction of additional garbage trucks going through a residential Bahama Village neighborhood to handle refuse from Shipyard, which, he said, is composed mainly of absentee landlords who oversee transient rentals in the gated neighborhood.

Commissioners Lopez and Mark Rossi opposed the settlement agreement.

Mayor Morgan McPherson cautioned commissioners against the "us versus them" philosophy and reminded everyone of the city's "one human family" motto.

"They should keep their trash gated in and have Waste Management go through their neighborhood," Rossi said.

Bahama Village resident Yolanda Mingo also spoke against the agreement, and asked the commission if they would subject their own mothers to the noise and unsightliness of an additional garbage truck in the neighborhood.

In other board activity:

• Commissioners approved a new code of ethics for city employees and elected officials that largely mirrors state ethics policies.

• Commissioner Bill Verge told his fellow lawmakers that the Vandenberg artificial reef project continues to face financial difficulties. Verge has met with shipyard owners and bank representatives to determine whether the project will proceed or whether the ship will be sold for scrap with the resulting money paying off those with claims against the ship and the project.

• Attorney Ron Ramsingh is compiling a report about outstanding Code Compliance fines that he will present to the commission in the coming weeks. Verge asked for the report several months ago, and said he would like to see the code process refined. "Some people with the smallest infractions end up with the most ridiculous fines," Verge said. "A lot are innocent mistakes, but some aren't, and I think we need to better distinguish between the two."

mbolen@keysnews.com