The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-06-25

the subject Of sZoning of Key
West" delivered at the Rotary
ICIub Luncheon Thursday by Wal
Ilace B. Kirke, chairman of the
committee on zoning:
The problem of the zoning of
Key West is unlike that o. many
finland localities as its boundaries
are kown. or fairly definitely
known. Certain additional acre
age may be added to the area of
the island by filling, as Trumbo
Island was added; but these adj
ditions, Il made, can be treated as
unit areas and their projected use
viii no doubt be known in adj
vance.
ANY proposed coming leaves
the status quo Of existing build
ings and their uses as they are
until such time as any non-con-
forming use ceases and then the
new use must conform to the
zoning regulations
ssZoning also has nothing to d.
with the segregation OF races.
This must lie planned in other
ways, such as SUM clearance, or
lefty planning as a whole whereby
leertain areas may be reclaimed
| for parks or for other uses and
thereby population adjustments
made.
ssThe zoning of Key West there
fore hinges around the assign
Iment of the different sections Of
Key West for their best possible
luse- Bat this must be done IN a
practical way as due consideration
must be given to what is already
here in existing investments
ssThe island developed around
Tits deep water harbor and pro-
eeeded to extend southwark and
Eastward. Or waterfront is still
,one OF our greatest assets, but the
luse that it may be put to may
change as We visualize Key West
developing into a tourist and win
ter resort colony.
In the near future the en-
trance to Key West for the most
,part viii be at the other end OF
town, By the North Boulevard.
and naturally a different set of
factors and influences viii pre-
vail. We have already witnessed
the desertion for business use OF
the lower part Of -Duval street. It
is impossible that if uncontrolled
business may take another jump
and locate its center near White
land Division streets.
"We viii all admit, no doubt,
that many of the buildings gipea
over to business at the present
time need to be replaced with
new structures. This is certainly
true Of many OF the buildings
along Dual street and the east
end OF Diyision street near White.
In these business areas no other
type of use except for business
can be expected to dvelop. There
fore, it seems reasonable that for
the next few years We eenfine and
limit the business sections and
have new buildings replace old
zones instead of allowing business
to spread haphazardly to other
Parts Of town where there may be
a conflict Of interests.
IF left to itself business along
Duval street viii probably move
south towards the South Beach.
Our waterfront and land near the
waterfront is too valuable to a
tourist community to be used for
business il there is property else
where available for it.
Waterfront property which is
not required for shipping can find
its best use for public parks. for
homes and for hotels. Our water
front area available for public
parks and beaches is patheticaIIy
meagre. Upon completion of the
sewerage and prospective water
supply, apartments will be built
in Key West, but is it reasonable
to expect that people viii come
hundreds and thousands of miles
and put M with apartment living
unless there is a beach nearby to
lgo to?
eff for the individual home
owner is reserved the area on OF
rear the waterfront, then the
apartment house should be given
the next inner strip of land be-
tween the beach and the business
section as it is desirable that
apartments be located near both
for accessibility.
eff we attempt to eondense our
business areas it seems reasonable
to limit new business on Duval
street at a point not too distant
from its intersection at Division
street as that street within certain
limits is also likely 10 be a busi-