RESOLUTION NO 283 2011 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY FLORIDA RECOGNIZING FRIENDS OF OLD SEVEN INC AS A LEADING PARTNER IN A JOINT VENTURE WHICH IS EXPECTED TO INCLUDE MONROE COUNTY AND VARIOUS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS TO SAVE REHABILITATE AND MAINTAIN THE 2 MILE SEGMENT OF THE OLD SEVEN MILE BRIDGE MARATHON FLORIDA WHEREAS the Old Seven Mile Bridge one of the most significant structures in the 100 year Florida Keys Overseas Railway and Trail 2 miles long and traversing a section of water between Knights Key and Pigeon Key is recognized worldwide as an extremely valuable and protected component of Florida history along with Pigeon Key with both being named in the National Registry of Historical Places and in the Florida Department of Environmental Protections Office of Greenways and Trails Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail FKOHT and WHEREAS the bridge has played a critical role in the economic life of Southeastern Florida and of the Florida Keys in particular and continues to this day to be a major magnet with over 100000 people currently using it annually as a recreational and exercise facility as well as an access point to historical Pigeon Key and WHEREAS the bridge is in poor repair and needs to be rebuilt or significantly renovated and WHEREAS because of the disrepair the Florida Department of Transportation FDOT who is the owner of the bridge has taken certain steps to limit use of the structure and it is becoming increasingly obvious that the Old Seven Mile Bridge might soon be closed by FDOT to all traffic including pedestrians and WHEREAS such closure will represent a significant reduction to access to Pigeon Key an island owned by Monroe County which would leave the only remaining mode of accessing Pigeon Key a ferry service which is also being threatened due to the expiration of financial support for the service by Florida DOT and WHEREAS in the recent past FDOT formulated certain engineering designs and cost estimates to restore the bridge however these plans predicated continuing normal vehicular traffic despite the communitys consensus that the Old Seven Mile Bridge be restored restricting it to pedestrian bicycle and very light occasional tram traffic a design alternative which would significantly reduce restoration and maintenance costs and Friends of Old 7 Mile Bridge Page 1of 3 Pages BOCC 9212011 SAHkmp WHEREAS FDOT has expressed willingness to provide funding for a onetime restoration of the bridge and then hand over to other entities the ownership and maintenance to the restored facility however FDOT requires proof of significant local participation to provide this funding in addition to community participation and commitment to assume responsibility for said maintenance and WHEREAS the restoration of the Old Seven Mile Bridge under fresh innovative architectural engineering design alternatives could provide a onceinalifetime opportunity to create a unique worldclass attraction when integrated with the adjoining Pigeon Key Sunset Park and Knights Key thus expanding the effort to create a familyfriendly ecotourism destination for the Florida Keys and WHEREAS a number of railtotrails railtoparks and roadtoparks both national and international have proven highly successful in converting abandoned transportation facilities into highly desirable urban and tourism enhancing facilities including among others the Highline in lower Manhattan and the Walkway over the Hudson in New York State These attractions have succeeded not only in saving valuable historical structures but in attracting private and public investment to nearby derelict communities now reinvigorated and WHEREAS certain governmental stakeholders including Monroe County the City of Marathon Monroe County the Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection have an implied interest in working together to save the Old Seven Mile Bridge and WHEREAS there is no recognized non profit organization currently recognized by the governmental stakeholders as a viable entity capable of leading a jointventure of public and private entities capable of designing and eventually implementing alternative strategies leading to saving restoring enhancing and maintaining the Old Seven Mile Bridge and WHEREAS there are significant advantages to be gained by recognizing and including a viable non profit organization as an official stakeholder in the joint effort to save the Old Seven Mile Bridge including private fundraising marketing citizen recruitment a design competition and eventually as a non governmental partner capable of assisting with maintenance and upkeep of a new structure replacing the Old Seven Mile Bridge and WHEREAS the Friends of Old Seven Inc have applied for their official 501 c 3 status with the Internal Revenue Service stating that the organizations activities will include as a Activity 1 Participation in planning and design meetings with various other project stakeholders including but not limited to the Florida Department of Transportation the City of Marathon the County of Monroe various service clubs and other non profit organizations and the general public and b Activity 2 Fund raising through various tactics to contribute toward the reconstruction andor maintenance of a new Seven Mile Bridge upon approval by the Internal Revenue Service who has communicated with the leaders of Friends of Old Seven Inc that the organizations nonprofit application has been received and is currently undergoing routine review and approval Friends of Old 7 Mile Bridge Page 2of 3 Pages BOCC 9212011 SAHkmp NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS that 1 Friends of Old Seven Inc a 501 c 3 corporation is hereby recognized by Monroe County as a leading organization in a joint venture which is expected to include Monroe County and various public and private organizations to save rehabilitate and maintain the 2 mile segment of the Old Seven Mile Bridge between Knights Key and Pigeon Key and 2 Hereby acknowledges that Monroe County will work toward a formal relationship with Friends of Old Seven Inc regarding potential strategies leading to the objectives set forth in this resolution PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County Florida at a regular meeting of said Board on the 21 day of September AD 2011 Mayor Heather Carruthers Yes Mayor Pro Tem David Rice Yes Commissioner George Neugent Yes r Commissioner Sylvia Murphy Yes Commissioner Kim Wigington Yes BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ATTEST Danny L Kolhage CLERK OF MONROE C FLORIDA p 1e 04 By e By Deputy Clerk ayo ather Carruthers o 0 Q r COUNTY ATTC t nOVED AS TO rNI i A r v rTN ri Friends of Old 7 Mile Bridge Page 3of 3 Pages BOCC 9212011 SAHkmp.