The Islamorada Community is much more than a place—it is built out of the feelings and relationships that are so vital to our well-being.
Let’s talk about community change. It’s inevitable! Sometimes it improves a community and sometimes destroys it.
Community change can refer to a number of types of changes:
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Social changes: sense of community and identity with our village and its unique characteristics
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Positive Physical changes: enhancing housing, land use, facilities, recreational “green,” space and infrastructure
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Political changes: responsible, public servants focused on improving participation and representation in local government. This can also be negatively affected by self-serving political persons with agendas.
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Economic change - more businesses, more employment, more profits.
Our elected officials do not seem totally focused on improving our village. Village council should enhance our sense of community, recognize our infrastructure limits, and improve public participation in decisions.
Too often decisions made reflect a “Chamber of Commerce” mentality (#4) – improve the business community and their profitability. Our residential communities are not a priority. Profitability of the local investors and developers has usurped the pledge to keep residents and our environment as the priority.
In the end it is the local residential property owners that will be paying a bulk of added costs for bad decisions. This trend must stop! Community Change! Let’s always work to make changes that will make us a better place to live…. Not a place that sends more of our residents packing up and moving out!
Crooked Palms Cabana: scam! Why do we put conditions on properties and discard them a year later. On September 11, there is a public hearing to eliminate numerous conditions placed on the Crooked Palm Cabana.
When that business was approved in a 3-2 vote of council after 17 months of meetings, workshops, and negotiations, there were voluntary conditions agreed to by all parties, including the owner, not just imposed by the Village Council. Now the owner claims that anticipated problems have not occurred, instead the business has proven to be a benefit to the community. (how?)
They want important restrictions eliminated. Logically, conditions should remain in place. The establishment has not lived up to expectations as far as profitability, so the hours have been cut down due to lack of activity. Perhaps there have been no problems because there are strict conditions and neighbors are watching.
When the Village Council approves conditions, especially voluntary conditions, (as well as deed restrictions and limitations when approving zoning changes)… they most often are meant as a means to protect our community and our environment. They need to be long term.
Consideration of changes should only be reviewed under special circumstances, not lack of profitability or desire to sell a property. Community planning is long term. Something our residents and future residents know they can count on. It should not be the purview of a “favorable council” to change the core of a community, especially with a simple majority of three votes.
Serious decisions like these should require four, if not a unanimous vote by council. Long term should mean long term, not disrupted by a letter to the planning department.
I do not see any legitimate way this gets the support of the Village Planning officials. They have the same mandate to prioritize residents and the environment’s uniqueness. This is Islamorada, not Miami. Start acting like it or we’ll lose it.
Reply to: ICA.in.Keys@gmail.com
