State of Florida Rejects Tavernier Overlay District
Update on 7/25/24:
Mysteriously the Department of Commerce suddenly passed the once rejected overlay project of a Publix in Tavernier. The BOCC and State are pushing this project forward despite overwhelming community opposition and lack of traffic mitigation, including my opponent Jim Scholl. An appeal has been filed and my hope is that the Comprehensive Plan, established by our very own BOCC, is followed when it comes to plans of development.
As your next County Commissioner, I promise to listen to your input and not disregard community safety and environmental concerns in favor of big developers. It is the number one job of the County Commissioners to keep our residents safe, and that is exactly what I intend to do when elected.
May 21, 2024
Last week the State of Florida rejected the Tavernier Overlay District, keeping developers from building the unnecessary Publix in the previous CEMEX plant property. The State cited that this development exceeded the standards applicable to the Tavernier community, and were not compliant under the Monroe County Comprehensive Plan, that our commissioners themselves enacted, to protect an area of critical concern.
While many will be celebrating this decision made by the State, it leaves me to ask the question WHY? Why would the BOCC move forward with this project, aware that it was in direct violation of policy they set, wasting time, resources, staff efforts and tax dollars, knowing it will all be rejected once it reaches the top? Is it so they can stay on good terms with big developers? Because this certainly wasn’t the will of the local residents. You almost have to ask “who do they work for?” Because it doesn’t seem like they’re working for us.
“Why would the BOCC move forward with this project, aware that it was in direct violation of policy they set, wasting time, resources, staff efforts and tax dollars, knowing it will all be rejected once it reaches the top? ”
The developers can appeal this decision within 3 weeks of this notice, which is expected. However, we need to pay attention to what the County Commissioners do during this appeal. Do they continue to support this project despite the desires of the public and against their own plan that protects our land and the ability to build in areas of concern? Or do they do the right thing and support our residents? When I am County Commissioner, this is not a question you will have to ask me. I will respect our long term plans for our community and not just toss them aside in favor of big developer profits.
To speak with me directly on this issue, email me at chris@chrisformonroe.com or call me at 305-394-1108. To make a donation to my campaign go to https://www.chrisformonroe.com/donate or click the button above.
