ST. PETERSBURG - Leadership at Bayfront Tower abruptly changed last week after two years of rancorous debate over proposed repairs at the downtown condominium with sweeping waterfront vistas.

In a mutiny against what some viewed as an exorbitant cost to fix the condominium's deteriorating exterior walls, residents voted to recall one board member and forced the resignation of two others.

It is unclear how soon repairs will begin, how much they will cost and how extensive they need to be. The answer to those questions has split Bayfront Tower neighbors.

Mastermind behind the recall was retired Navy Capt. William Walker, a board member aligned with a group of residents united under the banner of the Concerned Owners Committee. His part in the condominium's acrimonious deliberations and subsequent recall election has made him a lightning rod of sorts at 1 Beach Drive SE.

"They sort of painted me as the guy who wanted to run the building," said Walker.

Opponents did more, though. They also publicized letters written by Walker, one of which early this year challenged a fellow resident with these words: "People of consequence address me as Captain Walker, and if you ever speak to my wife again the way you did after the election, I will be honored to meet you at dawn the following morning in Pioneer Park for a lesson in civility."

In another letter, Walker said to a board member who had told him to shut up that though "there is no glory in having a conflict with a smaller man," he would make an exception in his case.

It was all in good humor, the retired Navy captain said Friday.

Though he organized last week's overthrow of Bayfront Tower's old regime, Walker insists that he has no interest in leading the new one. 

The dispute at the complex, the city's first high-rise condominium, began to roil in June, when members of the Concerned Owners Committee filed an extensive complaint with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. 

In the complaint, they cited financial improprieties and illegalities by the condominium association, disputed the February elections of board members and complained about plans to handle repairs at the complex, which has about 250 units.

Last week came the recall of board member Bill Hooper, who also served as head of the building committee responsible for making recommendations about repairs at the condominium. 

Hooper's ouster was followed quickly by the resignations of board president Jacqueline Ley Brown and treasurer Louie Adcock. Those board members say they were acting to fix the problem completely to avoid what they view as a patchwork solution.

W. Gordon Spoor, a member of the Concerned Owners Committee, was elected to serve the remainder of Hooper's term, which will expire in February 2005. Don Whitehead will finish Mrs. Brown's term, which will be up next February. Adcock's term, which also will end in February, will be completed by Ed Schmidt. 

Walker said he will nominate Rex Brasell, the only board member besides himself who survived the political coup, to be the next president.

"Life goes on. It's a disappointment, but it's not a high paying job," Hooper said with a chuckle shortly after learning of the successful recall.

"If I'm unappreciated, then I shouldn't continue."

The recall made it obvious that the majority of residents had no confidence in the way the board had been planning to handle repairs at the complex, said Mrs. Brown, the former president. She had taken no sides in the dispute that had pitted neighbor against neighbor, she said.

"I tried to reconcile the two sides, but I was unable to do so. I know that the majority of the people in this building are well intended, but there are honest differences of opinion," she said.

"This is what condos go through. People have different views of how to handle problems."

It was about two years ago that residents learned that moisture had seeped into their upscale, 29-story building and rusted steel studs that hold the outside walls in place. 

An engineer hired by the condominium board reported that the building - completed in 1975 - was structurally sound, but that sections of its exterior walls, from the eighth to the 27th floor, would have to be replaced.

In a June letter to fellow residents, the Concerned Owners Committee took Hooper's building committee to task for proposing to do the repairs for "well over" $4-million. 

The concerned owners contended that engineers who live at Bayfront Tower - "men far more experienced and qualified in matters relating to building construction than anyone on the Building Committee or Board" - have indicated that the work could be done for much less.

Walker and his supporters believe damage to the walls might be far less than has been stated by Hooper's building committee and that not all the condominium's exterior walls will have to be repaired as has been proposed.

"We've begun a process to determine the damage and we will examine every unit and from there we will determine how pervasive the problem is," he said.

Walker said last week's recall took on greater urgency since the board had been set to vote on a contractor on Sept. 15, "without knowing the problem.

"I wasn't going to let that happen," he said.

"Currently we have six contractors who are in the process of formulating bids for the work to be done. ... What they are bidding on is the assumption that every wall is bad and every wall will be replaced."

Last week's action marks a new beginning at Bayfront Tower, Walker believes.

"I think the building is beginning to heal," he said.

But tension between the condominium's factions may not dissipate. Residents who oppose Walker and his supporters fired their own salvo before the successful recall. 

In an unsigned cover letter, they questioned both Walker's ability to help govern the condominium and his behavior toward other residents. With it, they included two letters Walker had written. One, dated Feb. 13, was to resident Thomas C. Roberge, in which Walker acknowledged that the two disagree about the management of the luxury complex.

"We have been neighbors for many years and I sincerely hope this issue will not infringe on that relationship," wrote Walker, before closing with the invitation to a lesson in civility in Pioneer Park, in the shadow of Bayfront Tower.

In a missive to Hooper, Walker admonished the now recalled board member for telling him to shut up during meetings in June.

"I am obliged to inform you that if you ever tell me to shut up again in a public meeting, it will be the most humiliating experience of your wretched life," Walker wrote.

"I assure you there is no glory in having a conflict with a smaller man, but in your case, I will make an exception."

Hooper said he didn't remember telling Walker to shut up until he listened to a recording of the meeting.

"He interrupted me about five times and I said, "Shut up and let me finish,' " Hooper said.

Walker is downplaying the letters.

The one to Roberge "was designed to be a personal correspondence between that gentleman and myself," he said.

"It had nothing to do with our disagreement. It had to do with his conduct toward my wife. He was exceedingly rude in a public forum. I sent the guy a note, but I never threatened to meet him in the street. ... That was a tongue-in-cheek thing."

As for Mr. Hooper, he "had a propensity for telling people to shut up," Walker said.

"To Mr. Hooper's great credit, he has never ever told anyone to shut up again."

Walker said his letters weren't meant as threats to his neighbors.

"I think they took it as an opportunity to correct their behavior," he said.

"Dueling has long since gone out of vogue in America."