The Islamorada Village Council slogged through four and a half hours of business at the first of their two regular council sessions on April 9, dominated by more than 90 minutes of discussion on one specific land-use issue related to Councilman Mark Gregg’s family member.
There were four quasi-judicial ordinance requests — grouped and heard together — to amend the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) by Windley Cove LLC from residential medium to mixed use, and another request to amend the zoning map from residential single family to highway commercial for the property on Windley Key.
There were also requests made by Windley Isles LLC to amend the FLUM for its property also on Windley Key and another for requesting an approval for a zoning map amendment from residential single family to highway commercial on the subject property, located at 85331 Overseas Highway, comprising 13,300 square feet of land.
At the core of the council disagreements was the overarching concern about what Councilwoman Elizabeth Jolin described “as the vacation rental problem” on Windley Key.
Gregg recused himself from the vote on the applications because the applicant, Jocelyn Tiedemann, is a family member. Even though Gregg couldn’t vote on the application, he lobbied for approval throughout.
While Tiedemann made her case for land-use changes that would allow the properties to become vacation rentals, Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney and Jolin pushed back at various intervals. The properties in question are just south of Hog Heaven, and Mahoney said she’s heard input from neighboring residents about the increasing rowdiness at vacation rentals in that area.
Planning Director Jennifer DeBoisbriand said that any vacation rental license would still have to meet Section 6 of the village code, and that staff recommended approval of all four applications. Former council member Deb Gillis, who sits on the village’s Local Planning Agency, said the LPA voted 6-1 in favor of these requests, adding “everything seems above board to the LPA.”
Jolin said Windley Key has the highest density of commercial property in the village and is appropriate for vacation rental use. However, Mahoney called it a “crummy situation” since the density in that area will be further affected.
Islamorada resident Sue Miller said during public comment that “the one thing we don’t need more of is more vacation rentals.”
Jolin offered a compromise of sorts, asking the council to consider vacation rental restrictions be imposed to nuance their decision.
Village Manager Rob Cole said code enforcement issues with other vacation rentals shouldn’t be a reason for denying the application and offered to examine the possible need for additional code enforcement staff.
Eventually, Jolin asked Tiedemann if she was comfortable tabling her request so the council can address the entire vacation rental situation at a future meeting. Mahoney insisted the council “fix the (vacation rental) problem.” Gregg made a motion to continue the four items until the land-use hearing on Aug. 8, which was approved.
In other village business, Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay presented a refund to the village for $83,000, representing savings his office realized in providing municipal policing services to the village in fiscal year 2023.
Gregg touted the village’s acquisition of the Glynn property near Venetian Shocres in a video presentation. The environmentally sensitive area, with hardwood hammock, mangrove wetlands, 2,000 feet of frontage on Florida Bay and a natural habitat for tree snails and indigo snakes, closed on March 29 and will be preserved in perpetuity. The Glynn family recorded the property in early 1955 and the village paid $650,000 for it.
Village lobbying firm GrayRobinson gave a summary of the legislative session. One item specifically mentioned was the bill Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law that takes homeless individuals off Florida’s streets and places them in encampments monitored by law enforcement.
Councilman Henry Rosenthal asked what GrayRobinson has done specifically for the village at an annual cost of $108,000, to which the appropriation of $300,000 for a village fire rescue marine emergency response vessel was referenced, even though that has not yet been signed by the governor. Cole encouraged more council preplanning and an action list for GrayRobinson before the next legislative session.
Mayor Buddy Pinder raised the possibility of a Sister City partnership. Gillis said during public comments that several years ago, the village had such a partnership with a city in Mississippi. Village Attorney John Quick suggested the first step would be to look for cities with similar size, geography or historical characteristics, and the benefits would be learning about policy, transportation, tourism and sustainability.
Cole briefly reviewed that Public Works doesn’t have a permanent place for equipment, with much of it positioned at Founders Park. He suggested as part of the overall Founders Park master plan that it would benefit the village to find an alternate site for either rent or purchase. He will start identifying properties.
A resolution for a work authorization with Avalon Gardens Inc. for the completion of a canopy planting project around mile marker 87 passed. Two ordinances on second reading failed. One that would increase the purchasing parameters for the village manager from $25,000 to $50,000 without council approval failed. And after months and months of discussion, a motion for a referendum vote on four-year staggered council terms narrowly failed, with Pinder casting the deciding vote.
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