Last Wednesday, after 18 months, the residents of Islamorada were presented with the Comp Plan draft, such as it is, by contractor, Able City East, with Jason King, spokesman.

It was first suggested that last week’s workshop might be the ONLY Comprehensive Plan Workshop for the public.

As a frame of reference, our current (original) Comp plan had 18 public workshops back 25 years ago, heavily attended by the residents, sometimes standing room only. They tell me the entire Village was engaged back then.

After waiting 18 months for this first public draft, we now seem to be in a desperate hurry to pass a plan that will serve as our ground rules, our “Constitution” for the coming decades.

Critical Importance of Public Participation: Does the community understand the critical importance of this process and this plan? Has the public just surrendered to those in power, or (as the village manager suggests) are residents so happy with what is happening here they don’t feel a need to participate?

I  strongly reject the latter.

Comprehensive Plans are the backbone of any community planning effort:

• They outline challenges,

• Identify solutions and

• Provide guidance to staff and elected officials on planning-related decisions.

Most important: The best and most successful Comprehensive Plans are those that have the support of the broader community.

At the workshop last Wednesday, 30 people sat in the audience as Jason King, of Able City East, the consultant responsible for amending our 20+ year old Comp Plan, presented the new 242 page document.

That is a lot to digest.

 

Here goes… “BLUEPRINT FOR BALANCE”

 

The 30 people in the audience included 4 members of council, along with approximately 5 staff members and 20 residents. Think about that - 7000 people live in Islamorada. 20 out of 7000 showed up to participate in the decisions that will guide the future of the community for years to come, not even close to 1% attendance.

Ten residents asked questions and/or provided ideas. King suggested nearly all of the ideas presented by residents warranted additions to the draft document.

Sounds like a work in its infancy, no?

And he indicated changes will be incorporated and a second workshop will be scheduled once updates are made.

Of those residents presenting an idea:

4 were concerned about hurricane evacuation and/or traffic,

3 commented about affordable housing,

1 questioned the process and public involvement;

1 questioned why existing sub-area policies were missing in the new comp plan – including the critical policy needed to protect the eagles’ nest on Lower Matecumbe.

A significant number of those residents attending were there because they are concerned about an affordable housing project in their neighborhood. 

The controversial and unexplainable “Machado” property give away.

At the conclusion of the questions and answers, those attending were invited to talk to Able City East representatives to discuss specific policies, objectives, and maps on the boards lining the community center walls… using sticky notes to add suggestions.

No sticky notes were added before the community center emptied and the workshop ended. No suggestions?

 

My opinion – the Village has promises to keep regarding this process.   Get busy Village!

The 2025 Legislature’s SB180 freezes local governments’ ability to adopt stronger development rules before October 2027.

I wonder if the current council would even considered stronger rules?

If we want to make the plan stronger, then we should spend the next year making it better! If we are hamstrung until October 2027, we should consider extending the process or adding rules that will be effective October 2027.

Doesn’t that make solid, business sense?

It is inescapable that the public draft of the “new” Comp Plan needs significant editing.

It has typographical mistakes and simple errors that should have been corrected by staff review – errors in Village names and locations.

A 242-page document without normal coding standards (underlining added text and crossing through deleted text) is virtually impossible to review and identify what has been amended.

How can we go through this approval process without any corresponding LDR changes?  The Comp Plan and Village regulations must be in synch when the Comp Plan is finalized and placed in use.

There are dozens of studies, plans and other documents referenced in this draft.

Our new Comp Plan we will need to utilize current studies, not decades old studies that are out of date and overcome by events. 

Affordable/workforce housing – before we establish goals we need  to determine what Islamorada really needs. Is it one bedroom rental units or more Habitat type family dwellings? We support the latter.

As a marine oriented community, protecting working waterfront is critical as much of the access to the water from marinas and other locations are becoming privatized with access limited.

There are 11 major elements in the Comp Plan -Land Use, Traffic, Housing, etc. 

We believe each element demands at least one individual workshop.

If you have not paid attention to Village issues, you need to start caring and get involved.  This is our community and we have an obligation to make it the best it can be for generations to come.

If you do not participate, others who may have less noble motives may shape our future.

You can control our destiny. Please get involved!  When you participate, you honor the value of this special community.

The future is a blank canvas; let’s paint it with a shared vision. The Comp Plan will become the story of our future; tell it with pride. Get involved—Islamorada’s future is resting on it.

Tom

Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than dream: work. William Arthur Ward

Isn’t it important to debate and finalize numerous new affordable housing policy suggestions in the draft of the “Blueprint for Balance” and the list of recommendations from the Village Workforce /Affordable Housing Citizens Advisory Committee before we hand out allocations and give away or lease Village owned property?

Blueprint for Balance Policy 3-3.1.3: Create guidelines for public-private partnerships to support affordable housing development

• The “Blueprint” commends the Village for providing $10,000 as down payment to first time homeowners that qualify for affordable housing.

• This Council eliminated charitable donations to not-for-profits in the current budget.

Yet the Council may provide property that cost taxpayers $1.8 million ($112,500/unit) as a donation to an out of town for-profit corporation as part of a public-private partnership; and eliminate building fees and reduce impact fees as well.

A majority of the proposed units will be 1-bedroom rentals. The maximum rental allowed is $2950/month based on the 2025 Affordable Housing Fact Sheet.

One planning solution at a time: We believe there is a viable solution to the Machado dilemma: Click Here

We decided to address affordable housing first in a special edition of our newsletter.  At the May 12 council meeting, the Council will be asked to approve the recommendation of a staff selection committee: a 99-year ground lease for development of an affordable housing project at the “Machado” property, bayside MM88.6; 4 vacant single family zoned lots, a total of 2.42 acres, purchased by the Village in 2021 for $1.8 million. Two lots are mostly scarified, 2 have hardwood hammock. Last Wednesday, only about 20 residents attended the Comp Plan workshop in person.  Half were there because of the “Machado” affordable housing project. See both proposals received: PRR-2026-209 The selection committee is recommending the Council give ANF, a large for-profit corporation located in Davie, Florida, a 99-year ground lease, to build and manage affordable housing rental units on the property.  ANF included two “schemes” in their proposal - scheme 1: 32 units which would require a zoning change; scheme 2: 16 units. Current zoning allows 4 affordable housing units on each of the four lots. In the minutes of the selection committee meeting, it was clarified that while all the units are shown to be on the two scarified lots, the two hammock lots must be considered for density purposes to allow 16 units. The resolution approving the selection did not restrict the location of the dwellings to the scarified lots. Habitat for Humanity also submitted a proposal, suggesting 9 individual single family ownership homes.

Ensure Compatibility of New Development: Policy 3-1.6.5 The proposal being recommended for the Machado property is to provide two multi-family buildings, with either 32 units (Scheme 1) or 16 units (Scheme 2).    Which of the proposals submitted seems to ensure a level of compatibility with the existing single family neighborhood? ANF’s or Habitat’s?

Habitat: 4 of 9 single family homes   Elevations from  ANF proposal

With the extremely high cost to build here, it seems government subsidies are needed.  The “Blueprint” suggests a 2% closing tax when expensive properties are sold to help fund affordable housing.  Is that a cost to make new owners pay for the past failures?

Isn’t it the people generating the need that should pay into an affordable housing fund? We have fees to require property owners to pay for just 30% of the cost of affordable housing needs generated by their new development or new use. Why just 30%?  And the cost is based on the cost of land and construction from 20 years ago and never updated!  Let’s require up to date data and formulas in our Blueprint.

The draft of the Comp Plan addresses only the current BPAS allocations available for affordable housing that are a result of the 300 allocations the Village received from the state in 2018, referred to as “early out” allocations.

The state restricted those allocations to multifamily rental units with on-site management. Tenants would be required to evacuate early (along with transient visitors). Only 8 of the 300 allocations have been awarded since 2018.

Is this really what the Village needs?  At the Comp Plan workshop last week, a resident was applauded when he insisted that we need to promote single family ownership units occupied by families, long term.

Perhaps we should go back to the state and request that some of the multi-family rental restrictions be removed for at least some of the 300 units.  Don’t we pay our lobbyists to assist with state issues?

Islamorada may be too far “out of balance” with almost 6000 homes and only 140 deed restricted as affordable. But every single affordable housing allocation should be carefully thought out so that the Village benefits to the maximum.

Monroe County spent $7.5 million to buy 12 brand new 1-bedroom affordable units at MM95 last June.  They are still sitting empty, almost a year later.  Islamorada cannot afford that kind of mistake.

Does the Blueprint for Balance establish the proper goals based on actual demand and viability? Type of housing long term - rental or ownership; single family or multi-family? Blending with our community character? Viability with the high cost of land and construction costs? Desirability to potential occupants in spite of high cost of living and wealthy demographics in Islamorada?

Let’s start with the Housing Element this week.  If you are concerned about housing, particularly  the diversity of housing available, this special edition is for you!  If you have not been involved or interested, perhaps you should at least skim through this edition to learn about our future housing obstacles. And don’t miss Tom Raffanello’s always fascinating editorial - this one is about the Comp Plan workshop last week.

The 23 pages for the Housing element in the proposed “Blueprint for Balance” Comp Plan has 60 Housing Policies, about double what the existing plan has.   What is the community vision of future housing in Islamorada? Does the “Blueprint for Balance” draft do an adequate job of establishing goals for the Village’s residential community, providing for a balance of housing sizes and types for expected and desired current and future populations? Extreme Housing Costs - a windfall or a disaster? The rapidly escalating cost of Islamorada real estate has created an extreme windfall for some - developers, realtors, and those homeowners cashing out and moving to less expensive areas. But where will we get the teachers, firefighters, and maintenance workers to replace our departing friends? Those leaving are being replaced by wealthy homeowners and investors; not with electricians, plumbers and teachers.   Small homes, apartments and mobile homes all are in jeopardy of being sold and demolished just for their building rights! Or converted into a lucrative short term rental. Example 1:1/2 acre oceanfront vacant lot on Lower Matecumbe, for sale for $2.8 million with a building right (from a 500 sq ft dwelling). With typical construction costs, expect a 5000 sq ft home costing $3 million on top of the $2.8 land cost. Result: an estimated $6 million home, or more, replacing a tiny affordable 500 sq ft one bedroom home.

Example 2:  1/3 acre Lower Matecumbe bayfront, small older 1/1 home demolished recently and new huge home and pool now under construction, virtually from property line to property line.

More and more examples pop up all the time where small homes, apartments and mobile homes are replaced with mansions! In a few years will Islamorada have any small homes left? How does the draft “Blueprint” deal with this issue?  Are there policies provided to promote some balance?

Blueprint for Balance: Click here.

The Comprehensive Plan will be our road map to the future. Let’s make it the ideal pathway to a worthwhile destination for Islamorada.

The 242-page draft of the new Comprehensive Plan is a detailed, complex document that the average resident would consider mind-numbing reading material and would perhaps give up by page 3 unless they have a municipal planning background.  

But no matter what your background, please don’t give up.

This could be the document that determines the future look and feel of Islamorada for years to come.  We owe it to future generations to make this critical plan reflect the best that Islamorada can be.

The Islamorada draft plan includes 11 elements. Things like Land Use, Transportation, Open Space and Recreation. We think it is important to simplify the public review process by concentrating on one or two major elements at a time. Not all will be of great interest to everyone!

In last week’s letter to the community, Village Manager Ron Saunders indicated he will include a few budget questions “to help inform the public.”  Butthe first question instead probably confused the public.

The Manager’s question: How much of the Village budget for the current fiscal year is from property taxes? Saunder’s answer – 20% of the $93 million budget.  It might seem reassuring for taxpayers to know they had to pay just 20% of the total budget. But are they distressed that a Village of 7000 residents has a budget of $93 million? Yes, the total dollar amount in the budget summary is $92,592,300, approved last September with only a handful of residents present for the vote. Click here for the one-page budget summary.   The $93 million represents the total funds the Village has available for the year.   Not all of the $93 million are funds the taxpayers are responsible for.   Included in the $93 million: …$23 million in Fund Balance/Reserves - we hope don’t need to be spent …$1.6 million in interest earned mostly from funds in reserve …$1.7 million income from the marina, a self-supporting enterprise fund …$15.8 million from the wastewater self-supporting enterprise fund   …$2.1million for the building department funded by building permit fees. …$9.3 million for canal restoration funded via grants. …Numerous other projects approved while funded from state, federal and TDC grants. The General Fund: The basic government services - these are the onesfunded by our property taxes. Current year was budgeted at $25 million of the $93 million total….$25 million for the main operating account that keeps our basic government running.  It covers Administration, Finance, Fire and Rescue, Law Enforcement, Legal Services, Public Works, Parks and Rec.   $18 million of the $25 million for general government services will come from property taxes.  So, 72% of the cost to run the Village government comes from our property taxes.  The Village Manager’s 20% figure was a bit misleading. The Manager could have asked a better question: How much have the property taxes paid by Islamorada property owners increased in the last 5 years?  The answer: Village property taxes have increased from $11.5 million to the current $18.3 million…  up 58% in 5 years.  Manager Saunders tried to suggest the $18 million in property taxes in Islamorada is minor. Just 20% of all the funds available. But the $18 million to run a town of 7000 residents results in a difficult expense for many of our citizens.   The $18 million in property taxes this year could have been worse. Last September, the Council approved an increase in total property taxes of $2.6 million.  To keep it at that level, they decreased the Fund Balances/Reserves by $5.8 million - otherwise the increase in property tax would have been significantly more. And to assure the reduction in fund reserves didn’t get us into trouble, council approved a $20 million line of credit for emergencies last fall.   We hope Saunders will again appoint a Budget Task Force to find ways to improve the process.  Let’s work to improve the costs for our residents most at risk - those whose income is at the lower end in our “wealthy village.”  For those who rent and may be at the mercy of landlords trying to make ends meet. We believe Village Manager Saunders has demonstrated he can find ways to reduce costs. Now with a year under his belt – we expect major improvements this budget season.  And we hope all Islamorada taxpayers watch the process with us.

We believe there are several ongoing issues that need special attention: The budget The Comprehensive Plan revisions Affordable Housing We plan to provide special newsletter editions to cover critical concerns.  Watch for them in the coming days!

Yours, Tom