Cay Clubs and Other Parasites

As if they didn't have enough problems not paying their current bills, or even beginning projects they have invested millions of dollars in, Cay Clubs plan for world domination shows very little sign of slowing down. Naturally no one in town will do anything until the time for noise making is way past, and then we will see the wailing and gnashing of teeth typical of our noisy but completely useless local 'activists'. Pitiful, really.

Cay Clubs will soon own Southernmost Restaurants, a Cay Clubs spokesman said. The restaurant group owner says otherwise in the latest chapter of a summer-long debate.

“Cay Clubs exercised their option to extend the closing date,” says Chris Brown, a marketing and advertising manager for Cay Clubs, via e-mail. “The new date of closing of the purchase of the A&B [Lobster House] property is scheduled for Sept. 24, 2007.”

Frank Rego, vice president of operations at Cay Clubs, said the acquisition and all other business operations were running smoothly, even though the company was going through a “slow period.”

“We're not going out of business,” he said. “We're not in trouble.”

Gene Smith owns the leases of Turtle Kraals and Half Shell Raw Bar, both of which are city-owned. He owns A&B Lobster House and marina complex outright, which includes Alonzo's Oyster Bar, White Tarpon and Berlin's Cocktails & Cigars. Smith said his lawyers stopped hearing from Cay Clubs' lawyers.

“I assume that things didn't work out for them,” he said.

Smith enjoys managing the properties, but said he will sell if presented with a good deal. Any such deal, though, has stalled, he said. Whoever takes over the leases for Turtle Kraals and Half Shell must maintain them as restaurants and cannot transform the property at all without approval from the Key West Bight Board.

The A&B area, including a marina, is more open to development, but Smith said he hopes any owner would give credence to locals' wishes related to any changes.

“If we had more people following the wishes of the city, we'd be a little better off,” he said.

“We're not here to do anything negative,” Rego said.

Good news for heroin addicts everywhere, the war on drugs is going along fairly similar lines as the war on terror, and to show what a simply fabulous job Prezzy Bush is doing in Afghanistan, the AP reports that the country is on track for a record setting opium harvest. Junkies across the globe tried to mobilize a party of sorts but it kind of fizzled pretty quick.

Afghanistan will produce another record poppy harvest this year that cements its status as the world’s near-sole supplier of the heroin source, yet a furious debate over how to reverse the trend is stalling proposals to cut the crop, U.S. officials say.

As President Bush prepares for weekend talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, divisions within the U.S. administration and among NATO allies have delayed release of a $475 million counternarcotics program for Afghanistan, where intelligence officials see growing links between drugs and the Taliban, the officials said.

U.N. figures to be released in September are expected to show that Afghanistan’s poppy production has risen up to 15 percent since 2006 and that the country now accounts for 95 percent of the world’s crop, 3 percentage points more than last year, officials familiar with preliminary statistics told The Associated Press.

Excellent job.

Hickory House

Looks like Dixie's little property flip is going ahead as planned. Of course nothing in this town is ever as it seems so I am naturally not holding my breath. The front runner in the non bidding war, is Kings Pointe, Oceanside Marina or the more charmingly named parent company Cortex. Does that not sound like something out of a bad 80s sci fi movie?

County Commissioner Dixie Spehar, who lobbied hard for the purchase of a Stock Island bar and restaurant last fall, says her push to sell it just five months later is financially driven.

But some wonder if there's more to the story.

“It goes from stupidity to premeditation when the request for bids is directed at just three or four people,” said Commissioner George Neugent, who has criticized the $3.12 million purchase and in fact voted against the 2006-07 county budget because the restaurant purchase was contained in it.

Here is Dixie back in March...

The former Hickory House is one of Monroe's first efforts to preserve public access to the waterfront - but it's a long ways from being the public park “where people can dip their feet in the water,” as County Commissioner Dixie Spehar envisions it.

Public park eh? Whatever. Fast forward to today.

Spehar initially proposed the purchase, arguing vehemently that the parcel represents the last opportunity for Stock Island residents to have public access to the water.

Now, she said in a statement released this week, she wants to recoup the cost of the property while retaining an easement to “ensure permanent public access to at least a modest piece of our historic and treasured Stock Island waterfront....”

Skeptics like Neugent question the parameters proposed for the bid request. As it is proposed, it suggests the building be converted to a bait shop and convenience store.

Surprise, surprise it it going to be.... drum roll please... housing. With a whopping 5 affordable units. This is just getting better and better. I would have thought a bait shop and convenience store would be far more in keeping with both the area and the physical attributes of the building.

Read the entire article here
Source

Look Out!!

Something caught my eye the other day, that I find highly amusing. If you didn't know, there is another 'luxury development' planned for Stock Island called Kings Pointe. (Otherwise known as Oceanside Marina etc etc) No doubt more hideous faux Conch style plywood boxes with million dollar price tags. On Stock Island.

Pardon me while I titter.

This new thing though is definitely aimed at the ignorant wealthy. Not only are they going to have to fight their way through the forests of trailers and broken down vehicles etc to buy a gallon of milk from the gas station, they are now going to have to wear earplugs and/or head protection 24/7. The Navy ain't fer budgin'.

The Monroe County Planning Commission approved the King's Pointe Marina project at its meeting Wednesday, despite a Navy request to postpone the vote and discuss the noise issue. The commission approved the project after Chairman Jim Cameron said a decision was needed that day.

So basically the county has approved building a 'luxury' condo unit, in the potential line of jet crashes and insanely loud maneuvers! Gotta love it. I shall be watching this one with glee.

Ron Demes, business manager of Naval Air Station Key West, wrote to county officials before the King's Pointe approval, expressing concern over the redevelopment of the Stock Island marina because it's inside a safety buffer zone surrounding the military air base on nearby Boca Chica.

The military creates Air Installations Compatible Use Zones (AICUZ) for its air bases that outline where home development is discouraged due to excessive noise levels and to protect civilians from plane crashes.

Demes wrote that the King's Pointe property falls into the "very high noise area" and would require extensive sound abatement to the proposed condos, and that it is nearly impossible to soundproof boats.

"We are extremely concerned about an expansion of that use," he said.

Source - The Fishwrapper

Hahahahahahaha, oh man this is going to be a laughfest of epic proportions. Watch as everyone plays the blame game, in particular the rich bastards who bought into the "key west fantasy' on Stock Island.

I am currently digging around in the cess pool which is, Cay Clubs, Kings Pointe, The Real Estate Company of KW and a few other sordid players in the new Wreckers game. Much fun and laughter to ensue.

Update - Key West Ink

"As most know we have filed a suit in the circuit court of Monroe County that a complete ban on the artistic expression of tattooing is unconstitutional and violates the First amendment to freedom of expression of the Constitution of the United States and the State of Florida. We have have asked for an expedited hearing for Declaratory and injunctive relief. The circuit court of Monroe County, Fl has granted our request and we will have our hearing May 9th at 9 a.m. This is an open court so all are invited, We are quite confident that we will prevail. At this time I would like to thank everyone that has supported us. This has been a battle, but I belief our time has arrived."

Source - KW Ink

Hickory House.. Byeeeeeee!

The concept of 'Land Grab' philosophy is very common here in the Keys. Basically, any spit of dirt, preferably on the water, is grabbed by any means necessary by big corporations, so that they can build ugly concrete blocks, to cram as many millionaires in as they can.

I just picked up the email bulletin from Dixie Speher, she of the total humour void, discussing a nice bit of oceanfront property on Stock Island. She rambles on a bit about how important it is to keep such properties accessible to the common man, etc etc...

Late last year the County Commission purchased what is commonly known as the “Hickory House Restaurant” property, located in my district on Maloney Avenue in Stock Island. It is no secret that there is in the Florida Keys, and indeed throughout the State of Florida, what is tantamount to an unabated “land grab” of waterfront property. This phenomenon is likely to continue, as Florida, our nation’s fourth most populous state—projected by the Census Bureau to rapidly overtake New York as the third most populous state—continues to see substantial population increases with people and businesses pressing to the land’s edge in order to enjoy direct access to Florida’s outstanding Gulf and Atlantic waters.

Unfortunately, these seemingly irrevocable demand pressures on limited shoreline property will, in perhaps too many cases, result in increasingly diminished public access to the waterfront throughout our state and here in the Keys, with escalating waterfront property prices leaving state and local governments, in these times of austerity, unable to buy waterfront properties on, or to secure long-term public access rights to, our scenic waterfronts. Stock Island had, until our Hickory House purchase, no direct routes to the waterfront guaranteeing public (in contrast to ‘private’) access down the road. It is also no secret that Stock Island, particularly its waterfront areas, are in the midst of an almost frenzied acquisition and redevelopment process, fueled by natural beauty, a true deep water port area and the looming opening of Cuba. We had to step in last year, and we did.

Now I have requested that the County Attorney place on the County Commission’s agenda and item for the approval to sell or go out for bid to sell the Hickory House property, wherein I hope to recoup our purchase price for the property while, in the context of a sale, reserve in our deeds of conveyance easements or similar rights that will ensure permanent public access to at least a modest piece of our historic and treasured Stock Island waterfront, while at the same time permitting a purchaser to make the best economic use of the property that our community’s character and our land development regulations will allow. I believe the Hickory House purchase was right for Monroe County when the purchase opportunity presented itself last year, and that my proposed sale plans are the right thing to pursue now.

Dixie M. Spehar,

Ok, is it just me, or does she end this piece by announcing that she is going to recommend SELLING this lovely bit of property? To the highest bidder? WTF?

This is without doubt a prime example of commissioners gone barking mad. I know she is going to try and turn this around, to make it somehow a good thing. She is after all recommending an easement. A fucking EASEMENT? Ok that means that no matter what ugly building/condo goes up, the developer must retain a path of some kind, accessible by the public.

Honestly, if Dixie had announced this on April Fools, I would have said kudos! Funny!

What a crock. This is screaming out for active protest. Enough of this shit already.

Its Done, Apparently.

Its kind of sad when the realisation that Key West is officially ruined, is shoved in your face. Usually we are ignored by the media outside the lower keys, and that is half the reason why so much terrible behavior is gotten away with. No one is looking so bits get sold, remodelled or simply torn down so fast that by the time anyone realises it, they have lost another piece of town. I find it sad when I read comments like this, a letter to todays Sentinel,

It looks as though greedy developers are on their way to ruining another one of Florida's unique communities. I have been to Cedar Key several times to relax and enjoy an unspoiled place free of most commercialism. I fear that the residents of Cedar Key will experience what has happened to Key West.

People move to these towns because of the special "charm" of the place only to systematically destroy it. If people want a squeaky-clean, perfect copy of Old Florida charm, move to one of the many prefab communities and leave the few special places for the rest of us to enjoy.

Becky Witek

Orlando

As far as she is concerned Key West is done, over. She is worried that a community local to her is going to end up the same way. Hey, history says it most likely will. But maybe the fact that Cedar Key is not an isolated speck on the map, may help save it. I highly doubt it, but I will be watching.

The Last But 1, Little Piece Of Old Key West Cya!

clipped from www.answers.com Key Hospitality Acquisition (OTC: KHPA) Contact Information Key Hospitality Acquisition 4 Becker Farm Road Roseland, NJ 07068 UNITED STATES Tel. (973) 992-3707 Industry: Nonequity Investment Instruments Blank check company whose objective is to acquire.

clipped from www.cayclubs.com

The above 2 corporations are awaiting your thanks for their heartfelt job of saving the Key West harbour, basically the Turtle Kraals/Half Shell waterfront. Since the existing buildings have stone carved-ish leases that prevent them from being turned into condos, naturally these companies are merely taking over this beautiful area, out of the goodness of their hearts.

The Fat, bloated by greed city commissioners have given away possibly the last little bit left of Old Town Key West. Gone. Ta Ta, Bye bye. These people, voted in mind you, have no souls. They are evil and selfish incarnated and need to be removed.

At some time down the road when ALL has been said and done, the locals will have made their chirping noises. otherwise known as complaints, the Big Corporations will have wrung their hands when Turtle Kraals has a strange unexplainable fire, and low and behold we will all wake up with a 3 storey concrete bunker stretching along the waterfront.

To paraphrase Georgette Green in the fishwrapper, The new brochures may proudly read

"The Key West Harbor Cay Club; a condo-hotel and marina with historic restaurants."

Nauseating.

Don't say I never warned you. If you want to be truly afraid, click on the Cay Clubs link and look at who is on their list of Affiliated Companies. Same names, same hellish faces. Read it and weep.