STEVE REID
Editor & Publisher
sreid@lbknews.com
The Town of Longboat Key is poised to decide whether Jewfish Key should be allowed to leave the Town’s jurisdiction and become part of unincorporated Manatee County.
The Town Commission will debate the matter on June 3, with a strong and clear recommendation from staff to deny the petition for numerous reasons.
The petition was submitted by Attorney Najmy Thompson on behalf of the Jewfish Key Preservation Association last January. Reaction by Town residents in the intervening months has been a general outcry against the notion mainly because it would allow unfettered tourism uses such as AirBnB rentals and increased development rights on the island.
The irony of the name ‘Jewfish Key Preservation Association’ has not been lost on numerous letter writers to Town Hall who fear increased noise, loud parties and what they see as a self-serving move to monetize through development rights at the expense of their quiet residential enjoyment. This is especially true in the Village section of Longboat Key, which lies directly across the intercoastal from Jewfish Key and has struggled for years enduring the boisterous activity on the sandbar just off Jewfish Key where hundreds of boaters, beer drinkers and music-thumping partiers convene on a regular basis.
Denial based on deficiency
Town staff