BREAKING: Public Outcry Halts Bayview Park Plan After Above the Fold Report; RWO Moves Overflow Boat Parking to Higgs Beach
After Above the Fold exposed a back-room Bayview Park deal, public backlash forced a reversal — with Monroe County stepping up to offer Higgs Beach as an alternative.
What began as a quietly approved plan to use Bayview Park for overflow boat parking during Race World Offshore (RWO) week unraveled Wednesday after Above the Fold broke the story — triggering immediate public uproar and forcing the City to reverse course.
Assistant City Manager Michael Turner confirmed in an internal message to the Mayor and City Commission that the plan had been scrapped and that Monroe County would instead accommodate the overflow at Higgs Beach, resolving a potential political and logistical storm.
“Our partners at Monroe County have stepped up and made areas available in the Higgs Beach area to accommodate the additional parking needs,” Turner wrote. “We want to thank Monroe County for working with the City and the organizers to ensure success in this outstanding event.”
The reversal followed revelations that the Bayview Park arrangement appeared to have been approved administratively without Commission knowledge or public notice. Within hours of Above the Fold’s initial reporting, residents and park users flooded social media and City Hall inboxes with objections, calling the proposal “inappropriate” and “out of bounds” for a community recreation space.
Several commissioners told Above the Fold they had not been informed of the plan in advance, prompting questions about transparency and process inside City Hall.
Faced with mounting criticism, City staff worked with County officials to find an alternative venue. Monroe County quickly offered space near Higgs Beach — a move that Turner said will allow the races to proceed without disrupting neighborhood parks.
The decision averts a growing controversy just days before one of Key West’s largest annual tourism events, which draws thousands of visitors and generates millions in local economic activity.
Turner closed his note to commissioners with a nod to unity:
“Here’s to a great week of Boat Races!!”
The Race World Offshore Key West Championships are set to begin next week, headquartered at Truman Waterfront and the Outer Mole.
Glad you are writing about KW politics. We need it desperately. thumbs up.
Great work, Ted! Keep it going !! and we will respond. That’s great media coverage, providing us information that should’ve been communicated to us by the city. Unfortunately, I surmise the boats are going to be by the African Cemetery rather than by Saluté… neither is great, nor Bayview without any kind of transparency. Nothing new there!