09/15/2021 Request BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
County of Monroe Mayor Michelle Coldiron,District 2
The Florida Keys � Mayor Pro Tom David Rice,District 4
t yRp Craig Cates,District 1
Eddie Martinez,District 3
Vacant,District 5
September 15, 2021
Secretary Stacy Miller
Florida Department of Transportation, District 6
1000 NW 111 th Ave
Miami, FL 33172
Dear Secretary Miller:
SUBJECT: Request for Return of Big Pine Key Parcel 00110840-000000
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The County requests that the Department transfer (revert) the parcel known by its parcel ID #
00110840-000000 back to the County since it is not required as a Right of Way (ROW), parking,
or as an FDOT park. At the Department's request, the County agrees to provide a 25' easement
for FDOT along the northern boundary of the parcel.
County staff researched the history of the subject parcel because it looked as though the County
was leasing to the Lower Keys Chamber a piece of property that FDOT owned. Staff's
conclusion is that the parcel in question was actually County owned. The above subject-
referenced property is located on US 1 (SR5) in Monroe County, Florida. The Lower Keys
Chamber of Commerce has occupied the property in question since January 1966.
At the time of the original January 1, 1966 lease between the County and Lower Keys Chamber,
title of the property was held by Monroe County. It was deeded from the Overseas Road and
Toll Bridge District on September 4, 1954. The specific leased property was designated by a
metes and bounds legal description called out within the lease documents. Copies of this and
other relevant documents were forwarded to the Department earlier this year.
On May 24, 1977, certain lands from the 1954 deed from the Overseas Road and Toll Bridge
District to Monroe County were deeded to the State of Florida, Department of Transportation.
The lands transferred with the 1977 document used the legal description of transferred lands for
the 1954 document rather than calling out the metes and bounds of the specific lands to be
transferred. The deed specifically describes transfer of lands that were to be used as parking for
US-1, Right of Way (ROW), or as a park although the legal description used was all of the lands
identified in the 1954 deed. The 1977 deed provided for reversion to the County of lands
included in the 1977 deed, which were not used as ROW, parking, or parks, upon request by the
County. We appreciate your attention to our request.
While we have found no previous record of such request, the continuous lease since 1966 of the
property in question to the Chamber evidences the County's intent to have the property revert to
its ownership. The lease renewals even demonstrate the removal of the westernmost portion of
the property to form Industrial Road and the addition of the County parcel south of Property ID
00110840-000000 to the lease. Clearly, the intent of the County was to host the Chamber on its
property.
Regards,
Michelle Coldiron
Mayor
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cc: County Administrator
County Attorney