Letter to the Monroe County Planning Commission Re: Lock-Outs

September 17, 2020

RE: Moratorium on Lock-outs

Monroe County Planning Commissioners,

Last Stand supports agenda item 1, staff’s recommendation to extend the interim development ordinance deferring approval of new applications or received applications dealing with lock-outs or potential lock-outs until the BOCC directed corrections can be adopted into our Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Codes.

Last Stand also supports staff’s recommended Comprehensive Plan changes (agenda item 2) and Land Development Code changes (agenda item 3). These changes have been under development for a long time and are quite complex. As a volunteer organization, we do not have the expertise to assure the new wording closes all ‘loopholes’ that allowed a Stock Island developer to build a 175-room hotel while the moratorium against new transient units remains in place. However, we have faith in staff’s work and their comprehensive recommendations.

Please be cautious about any last-minute requests to alter staff’s wording.

For the Board of Last Stand

DA Aldridge, President

Bill Hunter, Vice President