SAVE THE DATE TO SAVE DINGHY BEACH!!!

AUGUST 16TH AT 17:00 - CITY HALL KEY WEST

After 2.5 years of stalling and blatant favoritism by City Staff allowing Robert Spottswood/Marriott Beachside to take public waterfront property  --- The City of Key West Commission has finally set a date to put the Dinghy Beach issue on the Agenda!

On *****August 16th ALL HANDS ON DECK***** will be needed to save Dinghy Beach from the clutches of greedy Robert Spottswood/Marriott Beachside and defend the beach from the City excuses that the beach is not listed as historic, Commissioner Wardlow's lies that the beach has never been used recreationally by the public and not worth the effort, and City Staff's trying to back handing over valuable public property to an entitled businessman who thinks he can do and take whatever he wants from the People and get away with it.  (Pier B - this ring a bell?)

IT'S NOW OR NEVER!!!

If you can't show up to City Hall on White Street in person on August 16th at 17:00 - once the City Commission date is listed online, until August 16th at 15:00 you can comment online or sign up via Zoom to speak later on the Agenda item at the meeting (details at bottom*).

------URGENT!!!!! VITAL HELP NEEDED!!!

IF YOU HAVE PERSONALLY KNOWN DINGHY BEACH TO BE A PUBLIC BEACH - PRIOR TO 2020 FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST SEVEN (7) YEARS OR MORE (i.e. since 2013 or any date prior and especially 20 years or more) PLEASE HELP WITH AN AFFIDAVIT! (Especially if you're not going to speak at the meeting on Aug. 16th in person or Zoom). For those who fit in the 0-7 yr. range, please speak out at the meeting or write the Commissioners or Mayor also - your voice is needed too!

Because Dinghy Beach has elected officials as enemies, such as Commissioner Wardlow who can be expected to lie again to the public that Dinghy Beach has been never been used for recreation, these affidavits are VITAL in helping to Restore Dinghy Beach!!!

In an effort to establish the long-term consistent use of "Dinghy Beach" (the waterfront property located adjacent to 3841 N. Roosevelt Blvd., and across from 3820/3830 N. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West), by members of the general public with access via the land to the east of the seawall, it is necessary for members of the general public to provide affidavits stating: 

A.) A description of personal knowledge of how long the beach has had public access, i.e. When did you first have personal knowledge/notice Dinghy Beach was in use for recreational purposes by members of the general public? From when-to-when [month (if possible)/year] did you see Dinghy Beach in use - continuously - for recreational purposes by members of the general public? What activities did you see the general public doing there? 

And -

B.) When [month (if possible)/year] did you - in-person - first start going to Dinghy Beach (if applicable) and for how long? What did you do there?

And then:

I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.

Signed _________________ and Executed on _____ (date) and Address:________________________________&____

Mine for example: Affidavit for Dinghy Beach

A.) I have known Dinghy Beach to be a public beach since first coming to Key West in July 2013, when I saw members of the public on the beach engaging in recreational activities such as: locals with their dogs cooling off after work, local Moms and Dads bringing their children to play in the water and tourists bathing with cocktails in hand at sunset. B.) I began using the beach regularly from 2014-2020, sometimes on a daily basis for months for swimming, playing with Ms. GoodDog and aquatic rehab therapy. I saw the public engage regularly since then in both the above recreational activities on the beach and additionally - tourists at sunrise wading ankle deep in the water with their coffee cups and local boaters engaging in both trash cleanups on the beach/adjacent mangrove area and giving sightseeing and restaurant advice to curious tourists. From 2014-2021, I also participated in regular beach cleanups, including the big North Cow Key Boaters Association Semi-Annual Dinghy Beach & Mangroves Clean-ups. 

I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.

Signed __Christine____ and Executed on ____ (date) Address: _____________Street, Key West, FL, 33040

PLEASE - If you qualify for the time-frames (you don't necessarily have to have been on Dinghy Beach, only have witnessed it as a continuous use public beach) and can do this to help save Dinghy Beach - please contact at:

milliemilliegooddog (at) gmail.com.

We need as many people as possible, but at a minimum 25 people with 7-20 years and 25 people at 15-20 years or more prior to 2020.

*City of Key West sign in for City Commission Meeting:

Sign up on the CityofKeyWest.gov website - hit Agendas and Minutes button, then look for the City Commission Meeting listing and to the far right, the E-comment section. It will take you to the day's Agenda, simply look through for the Dinghy Beach Agenda item and Sign up, sign in and comment. Residents, non-residents you all have a say in this public beach matter. 

You can also contact the City Commissioners and Mayor Johnston to voice your opinion directly prior to the meeting - 

Districti@cityofkeywest-fl.gov,

Districtii@cityofkeywest-fl.gov,

districtiii@cityofkeywest-fl.gov, (Comm. Wardlow - please realize it is likely anything you send him will either be ignored or sent directly to Robert Spottswood and be disregarded or manipulated to be used against the Restore Dinghy Beach effort)

Districtiv@cityofkeywest-fl.gov,

districtv@cityofkeywest-fl.gov,

districtvi@cityofkeywest-fl.gov and 

mayor@cityofkeywest-fl.gov

SURVEY INFORMATION:

The City Manager's office commissioned a survey of the area, however, it is not a bathymetric survey that clearly shows the riprarian line between public and Marriott property (as I requested them to do) and will not stand up 100% in court. The purple area was drawn in by the City Manager's office - NOT the surveyor, as was requested and needed. I have asked the Mayor to step in and ask her to instruct City Staff to correct this issue, however, with their refusals to be forthright and do their jobs effectively to the benefit of the City and People in the past, much will not be expected other than pushback against the movement to Restore Dinghy Beach.

Thank you all for speaking out with me on this and getting us this far - I hope you'll continue with me just awhile longer to see this through ~

Christine