Residents spoke out about the Key Colony Beach Meetings in August:
August 18, 2025,
August 21, 2025100% City Hall Drawings
Here is an abridged architectural plan showing the elevations and floor presented by CPH plus the elevation and 3D image from the citizen proposal to to create a legal two story entry and to resolve the ADA access: http://peopleareasking.org/resources/100_submittal_set_floorplans-08-14-2025.pdf
KCB has added the 08-15-2025 City Hall 100% Design Development and the 08-15-2025 Opinion of Probable Construction Cost to he city website under "About Our City" on the page for "City Hall Renovations." The 17.5MB 2401034_Key Colony Beach_City Hall - Architecture.pdf is the 60 sheet architectural package. The other drawing sets include Electrical, irrigation, landscape, mechanical, plumbing, and structural drawings.
Shopping Mall?
"A606 - GLAZING AND STOREFRONT SCHEDULE," the final page of the 100% architectural drawings, shows what KCB is really buying: a 20th century shopping mall made over with "city hall" accoutrements.
Name Withheld
Key Colony Beach
"100%" City Hall Drawings
To: Mayor Foster, Vice Mayor Colonell, Commissioners Diehl, DiFransico, and Harding,
City Clerk Roussin and City Administrator BartusWith the special meeting to finalize the city hall drawings by Brandan DeCaro only days away, we think it is important to zero in on a ball park number for construction costs, review the 100% design drawings for any errors before approval of the final bid package and before the contract is signed.
It is our understanding that we will be paying out in total five to six million dollars for the show piece of KCB. In addition, KCB is guaranteed approximately a two million dollar grant to bring KCB's share of the cost down to three to four million dollars. With that understanding, we have some concerns that we would like you to address in this final 100% of the design drawings meeting.
- Please share with us the results of the Planning & Zoning committee architectural review as it is our understanding that their review is required by city ordinance.
- Is it wise to close the "fitness room" off to the handicapped population after hours as people recovering from surgery may wish to use the equipment in their rehabilitation process? In the above scenario, could we rely on the police to allow the individual to gain entry through the main entrance after hours? Would that comply with ADA access law to avoid a lawsuit from individuals denied access after business hours and on weekends?
- Until all the city records are digitized, do you think it would be prudent to store the physical city records in a second-floor location in the unlikely case that the first floor is breached by water? With hurricane season bearing down on us, where are the physical and digital records now?
- Even with enhanced reflective paint, dark blue is not as reflective (heat protective) as a white standing seam metal roof. If we are planning to line the roof with solar panels to reduce our electricity cost the roof color probably does not matter. Please explain the logic behind the dark blue roof.
- Do you have an alternate plan if the final drawings attract a construction bid well over the five to six million dollars budgeted for this project? If so, what is it?
- Please tell us again why you feel that the administration and the building departments must be walled off against the public. This set up, as depicted in the drawings, negates the feeling of openness and welcoming that is now and has always been a hallmark of the KCB city hall. A Dutch door and counter could separate the public from the staff. It would be so much more welcoming.
Please understand that the citizens of KCB appreciate the speed and dedication with which the commission and others have attacked the city hall project. We trust that you have applied much time and skill to the plans for our new city hall. We are excited to see the rewards of your hard work on a project that has been delayed for too many years.
Thank you,
Laurie Swanson for Concerned in KCB
Key Colony Beach
Fishing & Swimming at Sunset Park???
Did I see where the commission is considering allowing the community fish off Sunset Pier & swim in that area also??? What a terrible idea, who will clean up the area and monitor the pier & swimming its conflict to the group that sings??? There is a lot of variables that need to be considered before just taking a vote. Terrible idea!!!
Mel Ardis
Key Colony Beach
Detention Pond?
"Detention pond?" That's a new one on me.
William Spohn
Key Colony Beach
Detention Pond?
Detention pond?
Too much ICE in the news lately?
Name Withheld
Key Colony BeachThere has been no explanation for why the "REtention pond" was renamed the "DEtention pond." (It is a holding pond for stormwater.)
"100%" Drawings
Architects Brendan DeCaro and his team have made vast improvements to their city hall plans and this commission has answered some of the questions asked. Many important challenges remain.
KCBers are concerned that we'll spend what some think could be at least six million dollars for a showpiece for the city that, despite the many hours spent over the past few months examining drawings, still appears to violate ordinances, ignore the Building Code, and has the strong likelihood of an ADA lawsuit. Here are four specific concerns I hope you can address:
- There is a concern that the "fitness room" has no after hours ramp, thus closing it off to the handicapped population--rehab is one use but other KCBers using a ramp don't hang up their reasons for access at 3:45 p.m. Would you share your plan to avoid the likely ADA lawsuits from individuals denied entry after hours?
- Brandan DeCaro himself called the entry tower "three stories" tall when he presented it to the commission. We remain convinced that the three-story entry building violates at least two city ordinances, the Florida Building Code, and a Florida statute. Please explain why it is okay to build this plan, especially given the well thought out alternate proposal to design a legal two story tower entry that makes all access a breeze.
- Can you please explain why the new City Hall floor plan has seats for as many as three receptionists, seven police officers, and eleven other staff? That seems excessive.
- With all of the ongoing city spending, there is grave concern that we will spend nearly a million extra dollars (20% of the total project cost) for the empty lobbies, the "open atrium" and the gym. Will you please help us understand not only where those extra tax dollars will come from but also why the extras are so necessary to this project?
The other design issues will wait because Laurie's questions plus these four questions plus the concerns expressed by other KCBers do need to be answered first.
An engineer in town reminds us that no project has ever been built that gets everything 100% right. Overall, this City Hall design meets many of the city's requirements. We just wish it could meet more of them. We do hope for and strongly support this commission's efforts to answer the issues raised, correct these errors, and finally to finish this project.
Thank you for taking on this monumental task.
Concerned in KCB
Key Colony Beach
KCB's Special Meeting to Approve Drawings is Monday
To: Concerned in KCB
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Name Withheld
Key Colony Beach
Ordinance No. 2025-503, Sec. 12-9 Limitations
on use of certain city park property, (b),(5).To: Mayor@keycolonybeach.net, Doug.Colonell@keycolonybeach.net, kirk.diehl@keycolonybeach.net, Tom.difransico@keycolonybeach.net, Tom.Harding@keycolonybeach.net, cityadministrator@keycolonybeach.net, cityclerk@keycolonybeach.net, letters@peopleareasking.org
Good Morning,
Virtually every day during the November through April season (weather permitting) I circumnavigate Key Colony Beach in my kayak. Almost every time I pass Sunset Park I see couples and families enjoying the serenity of the pier. I'll often offer a friendly "hello" or remark on the nice weather. They cite the quiet and scenic nature of the park, how much they're enjoying their peaceful time near the water and how fortunate we are to have such a wonderful asset in our community.
I fear that permitted fishing on, or near, the pier would dramatically change this and generally destroy this idyllic spot and its availability that make Key Colony Beach so unique. I can't even imagine the two initiatives coexisting in a positive manner on the pier.
I would ask that the council please consider the substantial detrimental manner in which adoption of this portion of the resolution would impact our Sunset Park. Please keep the no fishing prohibition in place for Sunset Park. Thank you for your consideration.
Bill Catto
Key Colony Beach
Swimming and Fishing from Sunset Park
To: Mayor@keycolonybeach.net, Doug.Colonell@keycolonybeach.net, kirk.diehl@keycolonybeach.net, Tom.difransico@keycolonybeach.net, Tom.Harding@keycolonybeach.net, cityadministrator@keycolonybeach.net, cityclerk@keycolonybeach.net, letters@peopleareasking.org
Mayor Foster wants to change the city ordinance that forbids fishing and swimming from Sunset park. The reasons for banning both are well documented in the ordinance and in the history leading up to the ordinance. The liability for swimming and fishing at Sunset Park is beyond belief.
Swimming:
Will the commission equip a lifeguard station and add life guards to the payroll? Will the commission add public works employees to clean up the area?
A guest I met at the park said that our no swimming sign is nowhere near large enough in case of a lawsuit--it should be larger and in color.
Fishing pier:
Aside from hooks lying around and cleaning up after the fisherman, making Sunset Park a fishing pier makes it even more of an "attractive nuisance." And "chumming" the waters of Vaca Cut with fish guts will just attract more sharks. Because our park was funded by the state, it is open to all and everyone; it's not just for our KCB. The fishermen that I spoke with there were renters in Marathon. Whose real estate agent told them that they could come and fish off of the pier here?
That was the major disagreement in the late 90s. Susan McGarry was a City Commissioner during those months of work. She used to come home exhausted from the discussions with people on the street.
This is NOT Key West or Ocean Reef. Let's stay Key Colony Beach as long as the Governor will let us.
Thank you.
Elynn Eiss
Key Colony Beach
Info about a Proposed Ordinance Change Affecting the Rec Committee
The city commission will host a regular monthly meeting in Marble Hall and on Zoom on August 21 .There are many big issues on the agenda this month including the first reading of an ordinance to limit the powers and duties of the Rec Committee, specifically eliminating oversight of the Golf Course lease, as well as allowing fishing from the Sunset Park pier.
If the commission doesn't want "interference" from the citizen Recreation Committee that Cindy Catto chairs, once the Golf Course changes get finalized, why doesn't the commission simply disband the Rec Committee? That's what the commission did with the citizen Code Board.
ORDINANCE NO. 2025-503 Here's the "updated" section of the ordinance of interest: "(2) ... The Recreation Committee shall not supervise self-funded groups or other entities operating under contractual agreements with the City Commission."
But wait. There's more. Gone is section "
(3) In the event that all or any part of this area shall be leased for a recreational use, [the Rec Committee] shall insure the protection of the city's interest in the drawing of the lease and the operation and performance of the lessee." In other words, "all you golfers and citizens on the Rec Committee, just go play in the sand and let the grownups worry about contract stuff."Concerned in KCB
Key Colony Beach
What Did the Commission Do on Thursday?
Didn't we kick the previous administration out because of what we don't need or need to spend? Now why do we need a gym, leave that to private sector. We have walk and bike paths, pickleball, tennis, basketball. Etc.
We don't need showers, everyone lives close enough to go home to shower.
And are illustrious politicians going to use this gym that they want? The pickleball courts they put in, regular citizens that live here have an issue of getting in to play.
All we need is a building to handle business, police, administration, building code and permits.
I don't want to sponsor something we don't need.
Should not the residents vote on this?
Carolyn Perlsweig
Key Colony Beach