JULY 18 -24, 2019 Best of Key West Winner Erin McKenna & Bucky Montgomery on the Runway! Florida Keys 3-7 • Upper Keys 8-13 • What's Happening 14 • Real Estate 26 Photo: Guy DeBoer • Cover: JT Thompson FLORIDA KEYS City Seeks Input on Park Key West Key West, July 11 Writers Guild he City of Key TWest is looking at Meeting making some improve- ments at Bill Butler Saturday, July park, and we want to hear from you! A meeting to hear 27, 2019 community input is he Key West Writ- West Florida. Enter schedules at 5 p.m. ers Guild will meet through the gate just to on Tuesday, July 23rd T Saturday, July 27, 2019 the left of the flagpoles. at Bill Butler Park, off from 9:00 A.M. to Please park across the Poorhouse Lane. noon in the Conference street on South Roo- Come let us know Room at the Condo- sevelt (Free Parking). what your vision is for miniums at 2601 S. For questions, call 904- this community park. n Roosevelt Blvd., Key 403-0866 n End of Season CLEARANCE SALE UP TO Going on Now! % OFF 75 SUGGESTED RETAIL EVERY DEPARTMENT KEY LARGO MARATHON KEY WEST 305-451-5700 305-743-4397 305-295-6400 MM 99 Median MM 50 Oceanside Searstown by Publix www.RoyalFurnitureAndDesign.com 2 www.konklife.com • JULY 18-24, 2019 K E Y N E W S Floating affordable housing project under pressure BY PRU SOWERS “We’ve been working on this for KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER two years. It’s been brutal,” Trepani- er said. “The process, the bureaucracy ou might think it they throw in front of affordable hous- Ywould be easy to ing projects… it kills me.” build some badly-need- No new housing project in the city ed affordable housing ever has smooth sailing. The build- in Key West these days. ing codes in Key West are numerous After all, the dearth of affordable rental and complicated – rightly so – as they units and reasonably priced houses and try to protect the city and its culture condominiums for sale has been the from overbuilding and a host of oth- leading challenge in the city for years. er construction sins. From the size of The word “crisis” has been applied to the project to the number of available this lack of housing and rightly so. parking spaces to landscaping, all get But for local developer Owen a look-over by numerous boards and Trepanier and his business partner Eric commissions. But there are also neigh- Dickstein, a novel plan to use floating bor and/or competitor efforts that try houseboats for affordable workforce to derail a project, even one that at- housing along North Roosevelt Boule- An artist rendering of the workforce housing “Acqua Huts.” tempts to create badly-needed afford- vard has been criticized and pummeled ducing the number of affordable rental project will win approval from Key able housing. houseboats from 74 to 30, Trepanier West City Commissioners on Aug. 6, for the past two years. Despite multi- X Continued on page 4 ple changes to the plan, including re- still doesn’t know if his development when it comes up for a final vote. 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Our objections will be with- ning board meeting made that Guy deBoer In Trepanier’s case, the com- drawn when your parking on-site case, including Melissa Trader, plaints about his proposed work- meets the demand created by the board chairwoman of the May NEWS WRITERS force housing marina located be- amount of development that you Sands Montessori School, who Pru Sowers tween Fifth and Seventh streets have on the property.” described the school’s difficulties Terry Schmida along North Roosevelt began The proposed marina, with recruiting teachers despite plen- almost as soon as he announced its 30 new, manufactured house- ty of qualified candidates. PHOTOGRAPHERS the project. First, residents in boats, 40 recreational boating “Our major issue is finding Ralph DePalma, Bill Klipp, Guy deBoer a next-door upscale neighbor- slips and existing commercial a place for them to live when DESIGN hood developed by Pritam Singh rental space, is 24 parking spac- they’re here,” she said. Nand K. Pandey, [email protected] chimed in, concerned about es short, based on city require- Those arguments seemed to noise from a proposed clubhouse ments. Trepanier applied for a sway several planning board PIXEL WRANGLER containing a restaurant and bar parking variance, the same type members. JT Thompson at the marina. Some residents of variance granted to the city- “We should make reasonable were also worried that their wa- owned affordable housing project accommodations where possible CONTRIBUTORS ter views would be obstructed. currently being built on College to achieve the common good,” Jeff Johnson & Trepanier and Dickstein agreed Road on Stock Island, but was said board member Ed Russo. Paula Forman Short Answers the residents had some legiti- denied by the city planning de- “We are beyond the cri- Ian Brockway mate concerns and changed the partment. Trepanier then further sis level of affordable housing Tropic Sprockets plan, including completely re- reduced the size of the project to here,” echoed board member Tammy Fox-Royer moving the proposed clubhouse. meet the parking needs, includ- Jim Gilleran. Florida Keys SPCA “We just eliminated that stuff. ing cutting the number of total It is now up to city commis- Sylvia Bogart Astrologically Yours We addressed every one of their boat slips from 74 to 70, decreas- sioners, some of whom have Joanna Brady concerns,” Trepanier said. ing the square footage of leasable concerns, as well. Mayor Teri Reviewer Next up was marina’s neighbor office space from 4,621 to 301 Johnston said she needs to hear on the other side, Banana Bay and completely eliminating 1,710 more in-depth information about SUMMER INTERN Resort & Marina; a hotel badly square feet of professional ser- parking, hurricane evacuation Emily Bracher damaged during Hurricane Irma vice floor area, another potential and marina management before and then sold to KW26 LLC, a source of revenue for Trepanier’s she will be satisfied. But she ap- ADVERTISING Jose DeLaRosa – 585.203.5156 company that is one of the largest project now gone. Despite those plauded the out-of-the-box think- Ashley Williamson – 410.999.4917 operators of hotels and commer- changes, the proposed available ing Trepanier and Dickstein are 305.296.1630 cial real estate in North America, parking still does not meet city showing in finding new solutions including the Margaritaville Key regulations. Bart Smith, anoth- to provide affordable housing. Advertising Deadline Every Friday West Resort & Marina. Banana er attorney representing Banana “We have a lot more water PRINT-READY advertising materials due by Bay is currently being rebuilt by Bay, said that added traffic from than we have land. If you go on Friday every week for next issue of KONK Life. the new owners and its attorneys both the new marina and the still- that premise, it [the houseboat Ad Dimensions Horizontal and Vertical: were quick to complain about closed Banana Bay hotel must be project] is appealing. We just have Full, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/8 page, bizcard multiple issues, including parking included in any traffic study. to get all the details,” she said. Ad Submissions and the impact of additional traf- “They were not. The traffic Trepanier is trying to be opti- JPG, TIFF, PDF — digital formats only fic on an already-busy main road. study is deficient. It is going to mistic about the chances of ap- Send to [email protected] “They voiced their opposition. be a major increase in traffic,” proval. But if city commissioners They don’t want ‘those people’ Smith told the planning board want additional reductions in the CIRCULATION Kavon Desilus ASSISTANT next to them,” Trepanier said, re- on May 16. project scope, he doesn’t know if Ben Neff ASSISTANT ferring to the reluctance of some The city planning department he can accommodate them. people to live next to lower-in- agreed, recommending that the “If it gets reduced further, it is published weekly by KONK KONK Life come residents. “It’s NIMBY.” planning board deny the proj- probably won’t make financial Communications Network in Key West, Fla. Editorial materials may not be reproduced “Our objections, I want you to ect. But despite concerns, the sense and we’ll drop it,” he said. without written permission from the network. know, are not founded at all on planning board voted 4-2 to Everybody’s talking about af- a NIMBY,” said one of Banana recommend approval to the city fordable housing. And here we’re KONK Communications Network Bay’s attorneys, Ginny Stone, to commission. Their reason? Be- willing to do it. At the end of the (305) 296-1630 • Key West, Florida the Key West Planning Board cause the overwhelming need day, we’re building housing for www.konklife.com when it heard the project plan on for affordable housing may re- working people.” n 4 www.konklife.com • JULY 18-24, 2019 FLORIDA KEYS Key West NOW Vice President Christine Thompson to attend National NOW Conference Key West the Feminist Majority, and Professor 2020 election cycle, it’s critical to support NOW is the largest organization Sarah Deer, working to end violence equality and women’s rights, and to de- of feminist grass-roots activists in the he Key West chapter of National against Native American women for mand that our elected representatives do US.