08/18/2021 Letter d®n.
IL'ounty of MonroeP4 Y n
,t � r BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
The Florida Keys
,r Mayor Michelle Coldiron,District 2
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Mayor Pro Fern David Rice,District 4
Craig Cates,District 1
Eddie Martinez,District 3
Mike Forster,District 5
Commissioner Michelle Coldiron
243 Key Deer Blvd., Ste. B-2
Big Pine Key,FL 33043
P: 305-295-4512
E: boccdis2(c�,,monroecount�fl.�4ov
Florida Communities Trust
Division of State Lands
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
3900 Commonwealth Blvd, MS103
Tallahassee,FL 32399-3000
Dear Florida Communities Trust:
Monroe County's second largest economic engine is Commercial Fishing.Monroe commercial
fishermen provide the majority of Florida Lobster and Stone crab to the Florida market for seafood.We
value the historic legacy and the economic benefits to the Keys from this industry, as well as the way of
life. Policies have been enacted to help protect the working waterfront from the pressures to replace those
activities with development. In keeping with these goals, Monroe County is pleased to support the
Islamorada Working Waterfront, Inc, (IWW) application to the Stan Mayfield Working Waterfront Grant
for acquisition and management of the Nichols Seafood property located on Conch Key, Florida.
Conch Key is zoned a Commercial Fishing Village (CFV), one of only three CFV currently in the
State of Florida, along with Cortez, Florida, and an area along the Sebastian River,in Sebastian. The
Nichols Fish House has been in operation since 1945, and in ownership by the Nichols Family since the
early 1970's. The original structure is still in use, surviving several hurricanes over the years; a historic
structure in its own right. The fish house is the only one easily available to area fishermen for many miles,
and is crucial to continue to serve this area between Islamorada and Marathon.
Monroe County Board of County Commissioners has given their support to this effort to protect
the fish house property from future development into perpetuity. Preserving this area as a commercial
fishing village for historic and economic benefit is very important. The Board has approved Monroe
County, as a local government, to serve, as the backup manager for the Islamorada Working Waterfront
should the need arise. Please feel free to contact our office with any questions you may have.
Respectfully,
Michelle Coldiron, Mayor
Monroe County Board of Commissioners
Cc: Monroe County BOCC
Roman Gastesi, County Administrator
Bob Shillinger, County Attorney
Christina Vaeth, President,Islamorada Working Waterfront, Inc.
Gary Nichols,Nichols Seafood