The scene of cars packing the Fills shorelines during the June 12-14 weekend won’t be witnessed again, village officials say. With staff assigned to the area and sheriff’s deputies patrolling, stricter enforcement is on the way this weekend.

“We all know what happened and it cannot happen this week,” said councilman Jim Mooney, who brought the discussion topic before council during Thursday’s meeting.

The Fills, the three small islands that connect Upper and Lower Matecumbe Keys, saw scores of cars parking in unpermitted zones along the shores and the bike path. It led to numerous citations issued by Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies. 

In an effort to control parking and the level of activity, Village Manager Seth Lawless said staff will be out Friday through Sunday. In addition, Sheriff Rick Ramsay has committed three deputies to patrol the two-mile area. 

“We’ll have plenty of help out there, and the deputies are what made the difference last weekend when they were called out,” Lawless said. “We need their help right now because things have changed.”

Porta potties will also be placed to prevent urinating and defecating into the waters. Message board signs will also be installed to let visitors know parking at Indian Key boat ramp is for trailers only. A.J. Engelmeyer, public works director, said a sign will be placed at open area across from Bud N’ Mary’s that will inform motorists when parking at the Fills is full. Officials say the double and triple parking seen last weekend will not be allowed. 

Cones and tape are placed to prevent illegal parking on Tea Table Key. JIM McCARTHY/Keys Weekly

“That defeated the purpose of us having a selected number of spaces,” said councilwoman Deb Gillis. 

There’s roughly 90 parking spots on the Fills. On Tea Table and Lignumvitae Keys, parking is allowed only on the four areas with paved driveway aprons. Space is available for 15 to 18 passenger vehicles in each of the four areas. Visitors can walk from the parking areas to their desired picnic spots. 

No parking signs are in place and vehicular access to no parking areas is blocked with a series of 900-pound barriers. Cones are placed near the bike path with ropes or tape to restrict vehicles from entering the no parking areas.

To address the trash problem, large trash drums are in place along the Fills for convenient access to the public. The trash drums will be emptied regularly by the Islamorada Public Works Department. 

In addition to measures that will take immediate effect this weekend, village officials will examine a towing ordinance at the Fills come July’s council meeting. Upping fines for illegal parking will also be up for discussion. Monroe County Sheriff’s Capt. Corey Bryan said fines right now are $32. 

“A lot of people know that. They’d much rather get a citation for that. We can’t tow their vehicle for six hours,” Bryan said. “They look at it like, ‘hey I can stay here for five-and-a-half hours and hang out at the beach.’”

In April, village council approved a five-year sublease with FDOT to maintain the Fills. The 2019-20 budget includes $47,600 in the public works department for a full-time Fills facility attendant and an additional $30,000 for rental of portable toilets and other operating supplies. 

The village asks visitors to be conscious of the fragile shoreline along the Fills, to place all trash in the trash cans provided and are reminded that no tents with sides may be erected.

Jim McCarthy is one of the many Western New Yorkers who escaped the snow and frigid temperatures for warm living by the water. A former crime & court reporter and city editor for two Western New York newspapers, Jim has been honing his craft since he graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 2014. In his 4-plus years in the Keys, Jim has enjoyed connecting with the community. “One of my college professors would always preach to be curious,” he said. “Behind every person is a story that’s unique to them, and one worth telling. As writers, we are the ones who paint the pictures in the readers minds of the emotions, the struggles and the triumphs.” Jim is past president of the Key Largo Sunset Rotary Club, which is composed of energetic members who serve the community’s youth and older populations. Jim is a sports fanatic who loves to watch football, hockey, mixed martial arts and golf. He also enjoys time with family and his new baby boy, Lucas, who arrived Oct. 4, 2022.