Item N2
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: March 16, 2005
Bulk Item: Yes No ~
Division: Commissioner Murray Nelson
Department: BOCC-5
Staff Contact Person: Donna Hanson
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of a waiver of the six hundred dollar fee for a pre-
application conference, sight visit and letter of understanding for the Florida Keys Wild Bird
Rehabilitation Center
ITEM BACKGROUND: The Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center is a tax exempt not for
profit agency located in the Upper Keys, which provides a valuable service by caring for injured birds
and educating the public on wildlife of the Florida Keys. The Center has outgrown the available space
on their existing site and must relocate to better fulfill their mission. The site the Florida Keys Wild
Bird Rehabilitation Center is proposing to relocate to, is currently owned by the State of Florida and is
part of the Dove Creek Environmental Area. The fee of $600 charged for a staff pre-application
conference, site visit and letter of understanding is to off-set the cost to the County of providing the
review service,
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
TOTAL COST:
N/A
BUDGETED: Yes
No
COST TO COUNTY:
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes
No
AMOUNT PER MONTH
Year
APPROVED BY: County Atty -L OMBlPurchasing _ Risk Management_
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL:
./1
;Z/'~ #' d I')
t.r, ... J ,e:; 1//1. -/- . ...
-~~~~1 r: . /' u~~<,~
COMM(YIONER MURRAY E. NELSON
DOCUMENT ATION:
Included X
Not Required_
DISPOSITION:
AGENDA ITEM #
Revised 2105
RESOLUTION NO. 2005
A RESOLUTION BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS APPROVING A WAIVER OF THE
SIX HUNDRED DOLLAR FEE FOR A PRE-
APPLICATION CONFERENCE, SIGHT VISIT AND
LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING FOR THE FLORIDA
KEYS WILD BIRD REHABILITATION CENTER.
WHEREAS, Section 9.5-42 of the Monroe County Land Development
Regulations provides the authority to the Board of County Commissioners to establish a
non-refundable application fee to defray the cost of reviewing development applications;
and
WHEREAS, the fee established for a pre-application conference, site visit and
letter of understanding totals six hundred dollars; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center is a tax exempt
not for profit agency located in the Upper Keys, which provides a valuable service by
caring for injured birds and educating the public on wildlife of the Florida Keys; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center has outgrown the
available space on their existing site and must relocate to better fulfill their mission; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center is supported by
private donations and government grants, which have been reduced this year; and
WHEREAS, the site where the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center is
proposing to relocate to, is currently owned by the State of Florida and is part of the Dove
Creek Environmental Area; and
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners has duly considered the
request of the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center; NOW THEREFOR
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISIONERS OF
MONROE COUNTY FLORIDA, to approve the request of the Florida Keys Wild Bird
Rehabilitation Center that the fees of six hundred dollars for a pre-application conference,
site visit and letter of understanding be waived for the staff evaluation of the proposed
relocation site owned by the State of Florida at MM 93,5 ocean side.
- The remainder of this page is left blank. -
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe
County Florida at a regular meeting held on 16th day of March, 2005,
Mayor Dixie Spehar
Mayor Pro Tern Charles "Sonny" McCoy
Commissioner Murray Nelson
Commissioner George Neugent
Commissioner David Rice
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
BY
Mayor Dixie Spehar
(SEAL)
ATTEST: DANNY L. KOLHAGE, CLERK
Deputy Clerk
FLORIDA KEYS
February 14, 2005
Dear Commissioner Nelson:
Back in 1988, at the urging of Code Enforcement, I began searching for a new location for the
Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center so that it could move from the current location of my
back yard on Coral Road. One site that was very satisfactory was a tract of scarified land
surrounding a "borrow pit" at MM 93.5 oceanside. However, the owner wanted $500,000, which
we did not have but the state did. FWC now manages that property as part of the Dove Creek
Hammocks Environmental Area.
Instead, we settled for 5;"'; acres at MM 93.6 bayside. The owner wanted $26,000, which we had
so I now own that property, The price was set based on the habitat map indicating that a dwelling
unit could not be built on the propertyJorlackof upland, My plan WaS to build the bird habitats
there, which was possible sincetheyare not defined as "development". While doing the HEI, we
discovered a hammock area that the mapmakers had not seen in their aerial photographs, This
allowed for the developmenfof the Center and residence, as it now exists within the open space
allowed. .
However, the Center has outgrown the spaceavaHable,especlallyJor parking and vehicular
access. Accordingly, we are again drawn to the borrow pit area as the ideal solution to the
problems that threaten the viability, and future, of the Center. An aerial photograph of the current
Center and the borrow pit, and a sketch of our proposed development are attached.
The following isalisfOfconUasting factors:
Insufficient
Umited ..
Non.,.existent
Non..,existent
Non..,existent
Only from southbound lane
Big hassle for fish deliveries
requiring manual unloading of
tons of frozen fish
Required elevated boardwalks
are expensive to maintain.
Visitors share boardwalks with
staff carrying birds, food and
maintenance work.
Facility construction Much is below flood elevation High ground will keep all
and the rest was built on columns construction at grade level or
93600 OVER~flst.jt"'~~AVEflNIEA, Fl 33070 (30:an8~~'drf~orumns
.. . Zoning
....,. Habitats
Flood Zone
Elevation
Vegetation
Current Genter
Native
. ..WetlahdS&Hammock
AE-8
Small area up to 3'
Native species
Functionality; ..
Parking for.
Visitors
Staff
Handicap.
Bus
RV
Access from US 1
Truck deliveries
Visitor access
Staff access
Borrow oit area
Subt.lrbanResigentj~l. .
Scatified/cieyeloped .
AE-T
Large areaof4-8'+
Re-growth & exotics
Ample
Ample
Ample
Ample
Ample
There is a median cut-through
Easy drive in & turn around and
loading dock by the freezer for
roll-off, roll-on handling
Mulch/pea rock pathways on
grade are safe and cheap.
There will be working paths and
visitor paths.
FLORIDA KEYS W!U) BIRD REHRBiliTATION CENTER, INC is fl TAX-EXENIPT. NOT-FOR-PRom RGENCY DESIGNATED sm (C)(3) BY THE E!N: 6S-0G20983
R copy of the: Dffkid regLstrm::ior, and f~0o.0dc:~ informaU.-)!1 mOl be obtained f'Of"n the -(Uv~sk)n or consume-or ;,;e;n,f[cc::;s by cdUng
1.-80o--435~7352 wH:rd~ the stat0. Registrat~on does flc-t imph-J 0"dorseme.nt, cpprOv'oL Of rz;::omm-cnoatiotJ bV the stote.
Page 2
February 14, 2005
Clearly the borrow pit sight has many advantages to the future of the Center and to the expansion
of services that we provides to both the residents of and the visitors to the Florida Keys.
A very preliminary discussion of our plan with the local Planning Department confirmed the viability
of this relocation. However, the next step is an in-depth review of our proposal to be done at a
Pre-application Conference with a site visit. We are asking the Board of County Commissioners to
waive the $600 fee for this conference, This is particularly important this year since we lost, at the
end of last year, the previously consistent financial support of one foundation and two patrons.
These losses, and the general diversion of much charitable giving to disaster victims, have left us
with a major financial shortfall, mitigated significantly by the generosity of the Village of Islamorada
and Monroe County,
We greatly appreciate your kind consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Laura B. Quinn, Director
/~ X ttfL -31
260
yards
PROPOSED PLAN
for the
Florida ,Keys Wild Bird
Rehabilitation Center
PUSL.IC AReA
1. Cat parking
2. BU$ parking
3. Education Center
Gift shop
Resuooms
STAFF AREA
A. Parki!tg
B. HO$pital
Office
Meintenanee
St4rifrt$ldenea ($)
Int$M resfd~u't$ (I)
C, Fet<<iing station
FreeZJeT
D, $ev/a~ tteatment .
Habitats
I. Pelicans.. ,xmr~fan:ts
It Herons, egrets
In. Raptors
PI. Mammals.
V. Medical caaes
$S << Donation boxes