Monroe County’s tourism growth and Hurricane Irma’s housing destruction is increasing development pressure on rural areas in the Keys. As builders look for low cost land, suburban sprawl increases infrastructure costs and traffic congestion when workers commute long distances in single passenger vehicles.

The Lower Keys are experiencing these threats with proposals to construct dense housing developments that change the character of these rural islands and require lengthy commutes to job locations.

Fourteen of the major community and environmental organizations in Monroe County issued a group position statement today opposing the County’s “Goal 109” proposal to amend the law to increase the maximum density for workforce housing projects throughout the unincorporated portions of the County.  According to this unprecedented group statement, high-density housing developments are not appropriate in low-density suburban island neighborhoods.

Contact the Commissioners and tell them you support workforce housing in the right places:

1. Danny Kolhage (305) 292-3440 boccdis1@monroecounty-fl.gov

2. George Neugent (305) 872-1678 boccdis2@monroecounty-fl.gov

3. Heather Carruthers (305) 292-3430 boccdis3@monroecounty-fl.gov

4. David Rice (305) 289-6000 boccdis4@monroecounty-fl.gov

5. Sylvia Murphy (305) 453-8787 boccdis5@monroecounty-fl.gov

“Together we represent thousands of voters, workers and property owners who support high-density workforce housing where the work is, not in low-density suburban communities. Of course, we need to restore the workforce housing that was lost to Hurricane Irma.  But for high-density projects, we encourage smart growth planning to minimize traffic problems and commute times along US 1 and to avoid new housing projects that are inconsistent with existing development in our suburban island communities,” said Bill Hunter, Vice President Last Stand

The organizations that issued the joint statement are Florida Keys Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, Florida Keys Citizens Coalition, Florida Keys Environmental Fund, Inc., Friends of the Lower Keys (FOLKs), Island of Key Largo Federation of Homeowners Associations (IKLFHA), Key Deer Protection Alliance, Inc., Last Stand, Lower Keys Alliance, Inc., Save Summerland Native Areas, Upper Keys Citizens Association, Cudjoe Gardens Property Owners Association, South Point Homeowners LLC, Sugarloaf Shores Property Owners Association and Upper Sugarloaf Residents Association