Item U1
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: 16 June 2004
Bulk Item: Yes No ~
Division:
Growth Management
Department:
Marine Resources
AGENDA ITEM WORDING:
Additional Public Hearing for wording clarification on an Ordinance amending Chapter 5.5-108 (d), Boats Docks, and Waterways to
eliminate the ''No Anchor Zone" regulatory category and insert a "Motorboats Prohibited" category and to establish Veradero Beach
as a Motorboats Prohibited zone.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
The BOCC adopted Ordinance 40-2003 making Veradero Beach, in Key Largo, a No Anchor Zone. This regulatory zone category,
though adopted by the Board, does not fit the State of Florida Uniform State Waterways Marking System as specified in Part 62, of
Title 33, of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The state would not permit a No Anchor Zone. Instead the State suggested the
adoption ofa "Motorboats Prohibited" zone which is provided in the specified CFR. The State acknowledges that the Veradero Beach
area is a problem. At the Commission meeting of 19 May the item was initially approved with a modification to the critical definition,
"Motorboats Prohibited:' changing it instead to "No Motor Zone." The item was brought up later at the 19 May meeting with the
determination that the item needed more staff input. Staff stands by the original draft of the ordinance as prohibiting any vessel with a
motor from passing through or stopping in the area. This is the only way that the unwanted congregation of motorized vessels can be
stopped. Otherwise canoes and kayaks which use the waters generally or enter from the County's nearby property will still be able to
access the area.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
November 2003 - Ordinance 40-2003
April 2004 - Approval to Advertise proposed ordinance amendment
May 2004 - Request for additional staff input and clarification of the Ordinance
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
NA
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS;
Approval
TOTAL COST:
NA
BUDGETED: Yes
No
COST TO COUNTY:
NA
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes
No ~ AMOUNT Per Month
Year
APPROVED BY:
County Atty ~
Risk Management
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL:
DOCUMENTATION:
DISPOSITION:
Included ~
rowth Manageme
To Follow _ Not Required
UI
AGENDA ITEM NO.:
BC04061O.doc
5/26/2004 10:39 AM
Marine Resources
ORDINANCE NO. 2004
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS AMENDING CHAPTER 5.5 MONROE COUNTY
CODE (BOATS, DOCKS, AND WATERWAYS), TO DELETE SEe. 5.5-1
(I) THE DEFINITION OF A "NO ANCHOR ZONE," TO CREATE THE
DEFINITION SEC. 5.5-1 (k) OF A "MOTORBOAT," TO MODIFY 5.5-108
(D) "NO ANCHOR ZONE" TO READ "MOTORBOATS PROHIBITED"
ZONE, AND TO ESTABLISH V ARADERO BEACH AS A "NO
MOTORBOAT ZONE," PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY,
PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF INCONSISTENT ORDINANCE
CLAUSES, PROVIDING FOR INCORPORATION INTO THE MONROE
COUNTY CODE, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE
WHEREAS, the shallow waters adjacent to the shoreline at what is locally known as
Varadero Beach on the bayside of Key Largo have become inundated with boaters anchoring and
creating a health and safety nuisance as well as a quality of life issue for the adjacent property
owners; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County owns a parcel on the cove at Varadero Beach which is
impacted by the boating aggregations as well; and
WHEREAS, the County adopted Ordinance 40-2003 to protect the area as a "No Anchor
Zone;" and
WHEREAS, the State of Florida would not permit a "No Anchor Zone" as the adopted
zone would not fit the Uniform State Waterways Marking System as specified in Part 62, of Title
33, of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR); and
WHEREAS, the state has agreed in principle that the County's concern is legitimate and
indicates that a "Motorboats Prohibited" zone would be a more appropriate regulatory zone for
the situation, which is identified in the Part 62, Title 33, CFR, now, therefore,
BE IT RESOL VED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,
MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA THAT the following revision is made to Chapter 5.5,
Monroe County Code:
Section 1. Sec. 5.5-1 Definitions, is hereby amended to delete sub-section (1) the definition
of "No Anchor Zone.
Section 2. Sec. 5.5-1. Definitions, is hereby amended to add the following definition:
(k) Motorboat means any vessel equipped with machinery for propulsion, irrespective of
whether the propulsion machinery is in actual operation. This definition is synonymous with the
definition of motorized vessel
[renumber accordingly in code book]
BC040431 Ord Veradero NAZ Rev MP 040421.doc
3/31/20042:06 PM
Marine Resources
Section 3. Sec. 5.5-108 (d) Boat restricted zones is hereby amended to read as follows:
(d) Motorboats Prohibited Zones. No motorboat as defined herein shall enter an area
established by County Ordinance as "Motorboat Prohibited Zone".
(1) Varadero Beach: To include an area within three hundred (300) feet of shore along the
cove on the bayside of Key Largo, known as Varadero Beach at approximately mm 95.6
bayside and as shown graphically in the attached map. Kayaks, canoes and similar
exclusively human powered vessels are allowed in this zone.
[renumber accordingly in code book]
Section 4. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or provision of this Ordinance is held
invalid, the remainder of this Ordinance shall not be affected by such invalidity.
Section 5. All Ordinances or parts of Ordinances in conflict with this Ordinance are hereby
repealed to the extent of said conflict.
Section 6. The provisions of this Ordinance shall be included and incorporated in the Code
of Ordinances of the County of Monroe, Florida, as an addition to amendment thereto, and shall
be appropriately renumbered to conform to the uniform numbering system of the Code.
Section 7. This Ordinance shall be filed with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State
of Florida, and will take effect upon receipt by that agency.
BC040431 Ord Veradero NAZ Rev MP 040421.doc
3/31/2004 2:06 PM
Marine Resources
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners, Monroe County, Florida at
a regular meeting of said Board held on the . day of ., A.D., 2004.
Mayor Murray E. Nelson
Mayor Pro Tern David P. Rice
Commissioner George Neugent
Commissioner Charles Sonny McCoy
Commissioner Dixie Spehar
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
BY:
MAYOR/CHAIR PERSON
(SEAL)
ATTEST:
DANNY L. KOLHAGE, CLERK
DEPUTY CLERK
APPROVED AS TO FORM A:NB-
.LEGAL 8lJIi'PICIENCY
BY~
ATTO 's OFFICE
BY:
BC040431 Ord Veradero NAZ Rev MP 040421.doc
3/31/2004 2:06 PM
1\/1" ~"";n"" 1) "",....'\"...,..""8
Varadero Beach
NO ANCHOR ZONE
No Anchor Zone
(withi n 300' of sh 0 re)
0.1
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0.1 NIles
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s
BC040431 Ord Veradero NAZ Rev MP 04042\.doc
3/31/2004 2:06 PM
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BELAVAL&ORTEGO, P.A.
Attorneys at Law
HOMESTEAD OFFICE:
27501 South Dixie Highway
Suite 403
Homestead, Florida 33032
(305) 248-2000 English
(305) 248-9000 Espano!
Edgar Be!ava1,Jr., Esq.
Anthony E. Ortego, Esq.
MIAMI OFFICE:
704 Southwest 170b Avenue
Suite 4
Miami, Florida 33135
(305) 643-6868
(305) 643-6646 Fa."
November 13, 2003
Hon. Murray Nelson
Monroe County Commission
Damaron Building, Suite II
99198 Overseas Highway
Key Largo, FL 33037
RE: Ortega Family Property "No Anchor Zone"
Dear Commissioner Nelson:
This letter is to provide you with a brief summary of the Ortega family Property,
located just north of Harriet's Restaurant on the bayside. Enclosed find photographs
taken by my clients' neighbors on various weekends, the property survey, and an article
describing a similar problem in Miami-Dade County.
My clients purchased and used the property continuously since 1967. The
property has a horseshoe-shaped cove to its south and a shallow sandy area within the
cove, which makes the area attractive to boaters, snorkelers and swimmers. In the last ten
(10) years, the number of vessels congregating near my clients' property has increased
dramatically. On holiday weekends, neighbors have photographed and counted more
than sixty (60) boats and more than two hundred and fifty people (250) in the water. This
not only creates a safety and health issue, but my clients are unable to enjoy their
property because of trespassers and their inability to ingress and egress from their
property via the bay.
As you may recall, my clients and I met with you on June 5, 2003, to discuss the
safety, health and property concerns. You suggested the creation ofa "No Anchor Zone"
to be placed approximately 300 feet from the shore line. Subsequently, you forwarded
your concerns and suggestions to George Garrett, the Marine Resources Director for
Monroe County. Mr. Garrett and Richard Jones, a Marine Resources Planner for Monroe
County, had numerous telephone conferences and exchanged ideas with my clients and
myself.
On June 30, 2003, Mr. Jones visited the subject property on a Saturday, and
prepared a written report. In his report he cited a large number of vessels converging on
the area from all directions, posing a potential safety hazard with motors running very
close to swimmers and waders, excessive anchoring, trash left behind on the shore, noise
pollution, and alcohol consumption.
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Page 2
Comm. Nelson Itr
Nov. 13,2003
On August 27, 2003, Mr. Garrett and Mr. Jones submitted their findings to the
Marine and Port Advisory Committee. The Committee voted unanimously in favor of a
resolution to create a "No Anchor Zone" 300 feet from the shore line. The purpose of
this "No Anchor Zone" is to keep boaters at a distance from the shallow waters of the
cove for their safety, the health of the surrounding waters, and to diminish the nuisance to
the areas property owners. The neighbors to the south and north of my clients' property,
are aware of and in favor of the proposed "No Anchor Zone," as evidenced by the
attached petition.
Thank you for your consideration and for finding a reasonable and fair solution to
address this problem. .
.
-
I RALPHRMRDI000
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The Miami Herald \ 08/24/2003 I Sandbar in Biscayne Bay is home to sizzling party
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t4onday, Aug 25, 2003
News
Posted on Sun, Aug. 24, 2003
Sandbar in Biscayne Bay is home to sizzling
party
BY ANABELLE de GALE
adegale@herald.com
They call it The
Pachanga.
Hundreds of party
people, knee-high
in saltwater,
boogieing down to
the tunes of D.].
Eddie as if their
dance floor was
quite normally the
ocean floor.
H More photos
WINNER: Kirenia Sanabria participates in a bikini
contest on a sandbar off Elliott Key near Miami. Mostly,
the party is a family-friendly affair. BARBARA P.
HERNANDEZ/FOR THE HERALD
It is, simply put,
so Miami.
It's the work of nightclub promoter Zavier Garda, who recently began
organizing the weekly Sunday bash at the popular anchorage off
Elliott Key.
"It was a hangout," Garda said. .. We made it a party."
What the 27-year-old master marketer, with the help of fellow
promoters Danny Cifuentes and Andres Fonte, has managed to do is
turn the Key's sandbar into Club Pachanga. In English: wild party.
More than 15,000 invitations go out every week via e-mail.
Hundreds show up.
Reel lives, liquid Asset, Aquaholic and Reality Check attended. Sea
Ya and ShiD ShaDe. too.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/6604018.htm
Shoppin~
Find a J
Find a (
Find a I
Find an
C'assifi.
Shop No
I
.
~
, "
~....."
-:.
..
PHOTOS
I
>> more p
8/25/2003
l
The Miami Herald I 08/24/2003 I Sandbar in Biscayne Bay is home to sizzling party
Page 2 of3
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In the shallow waters, Garda and company tie together three boats --
the entertainment stage.
They hired a professional percussionist, who looked the part.
Sunglasses under a classic Panama hat, a Cuban cigar dangling from
his lips, beating drums and a cymbal at the stern. Timbales waited
their turn, resting nearby on the boat's engines.
A generator buzzed on deck. The driver's seat became the D.J. booth,
splash-guarded by curtains that happened to be beach towels.
Speakers balanced on the boats' Bimini tops.
OJ Eddie Alexander, a regular at Quench in Coconut Grove, spun hip-
hop and Latin pop tracks for the crowd, bootie-shaking on the
sandbar.
Choreographed dancers moved in rhythm on the bow. Below, the
cabin-turned-VIP-room was the hangout of premium names --
Johnny, Jack and even Jose Cuervo.
SELF-SUPPLYING
The good stuff was rationed out to the event's main players. BYOB,
the party invite had read, meaning the masses were left to suck down
beer they had brought themselves.
After all, Garcia isn't selling anything.
Except his name.
There's no cover charge or cash bar to profit from. Garcia does it all
for the glory of getting his name out there as a party promoter. He
takes pictures of Pachanga and then posts them on his website,
Zbash.com.
The catch is this: When folks check out the photos online, they'll also
see the other events he's promoting.
"It's all about creating a following," Garda said. . . Generating
traffic. "
It's not the raunchy, flesh-fest that goes on during the Columbus Day
Regatta. This is a PG crowd. Their privates stay private.
That said, it's no church picnic.
Among the party favors: a $200 bikini contest.
"You can go out fishing in the morning and then come to Pachanga,"
said Joseph Riquelme, a 24-year-old UPS supervisor from Kendall,
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8/25/2003
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The Miami Herald I 08/24/2003 I Sandbar in Biscayne Bay is home to sizzling party
Page 3 of3
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club on the water. It's the perfect spot."
Wrong, say the not-sa-happy guardians of Biscayne National Park,
where Elliott Key is one of 40-plus islands.
"It sounds like a lot of fun, but it doesn't belong in a national park,"
said Monika Mayr, Biscayne's assistant superintendent. . . Congress
did not intend for the park to be used as a playground. The line we
try to draw is whether or not the recreation is resource-based. You
can have a DJ. party anywhere. I don't see how a party like that is
dependent on the resources of a national park."
CONCERNS
Mayr is concerned about noise pollution and damage to the area's sea
grass. Magnified music disturbs not only others using the park, she
said, but the area's wildlife.
There's also the issue of a permit.
The party promoters don't have one.
Organized events require a special-use permit, and one has not been
requested, Mayr said.
Zavier argues that he's no different from the other boaters who often
visit the Key. He also said he has yet to be approached by anyone
from the park asking him to show one.
In the meantime, from 3 p.m. until sunset on Sundays, Pachanga
parties on.
As high tide rolled in, the stage and its music drifted with the current.
And the people followed, wading through the water.
"Everybody likes to go where everybody's at," said 28-year-old Didi
Castillo of Hialeah. . . And this is at."
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8/25/2003
Page 1 of 1
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GETTING DOWN: Boaters in the shallows off Elliott Key cool off during the festivities. Revelers are summoned to
the event bye-mails from party promoter Zavier Garcia. They supply their own beverages and food. BARBARA P.
HERNANDEZ/FOR THE HERALD
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. ..lslideshow .htm ?content_id=6604152& pub _name=miam iherald&language=en&palette _ name8/25/2003
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