Hundreds of residents are voicing their say on the future of the Fills, a series of small islands connecting Upper and Lower Matecumbe Keys that once saw cars, chaos and trash.
A survey released in early April with a series of questions over the property saw nearly 955 responses as of April 13.
Village officials are trying to figure out a direction on the property that’s owned by the state and managed by the village since 2019. Years of discussions and a lack of decisive action prompted Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney to lead the charge on a survey with questions drafted by local residents Sue Miller, Alina Davis and Sandy Moret.
Preliminary figures from the survey presented to the council during a special meeting earlier in the week found that of the responses, around 83% were against the idea of developing the Fills into a park, with amenities that would include parking, launching ramp, picnic tables and trash collection services for the general public.
Residents were split on the idea of six parking areas with 15-minute limits on the northbound and southbound sides of the road to give visitors the chance to take pictures of a scenic view. Preliminary survey results showed roughly 51% saying “no.”
Around 86% said “no” to the use of taxpayer dollars to fund development and maintenance costs at the Fills.
With 950-plus completed surveys, roughly 10% of the village’s voting population voiced their input.
Islamorada residents have until April 30 to fill out the Fills survey. People can only fill out the survey once by visiting http://islamoradasocialsurveys.org or by mailing the survey found in the Upper Keys Weekly newspaper to Mahoney at P.O. Box 650, Islamorada, FL, 33036.
Village officials expect to hold a special meeting in mid-May to discuss the results and a direction for the Fills.
