An open letter to Governor Crist

The Monroe County Commission met on Feb. 5 to consider the reworked amendment to the comprehensive plan on working waterfront preservation. This [amendment] had returned to the county from the state Department of Community Affairs, which had pointed out shortcomings of the initial amendment.

Monroe County Planning Commissioner Sherry Popham, speaking for the Planning Commission, discussed several problems that remained with the reworked amendment, including density and height proposals and Rate-of-Growth Ordinance exemptions for hotel development. More importantly, she pointed out that the reworked amendment had not been heard before the Planning Commission.

All of Commissioner Popham's and other public comments were made moot when the County Commission voted 3-2 to accept last-minute changes to the amendment proposed by an attorney for a Stock Island marine business owner. Neither the commissioners nor the county staff had read the provided last-minute changes. The county's growth management director protested strenuously, but was not heeded.

Last Stand feels that this was an egregious act, which largely strips the amendment of its waterfront protection aspects, including "no net loss" — the heart of protection — and should be rejected. But we also wonder if this is not a ploy by the majority trio of the County Commission to await DCA rejection of this reworked plan, state that they had tried and drop the issue of working waterfront protection, which is sorely needed in the Florida Keys.

Albert Sullivan, president, Last Stand