South Florida Free Beaches
Quest for a Key West Naturist Beach

Feb. 18, 2010: Designation imminent?

Alan Leigh of Florida Keys Free Beaches (FKFB) reports that Mayor Cates is ready to proceed to designating the east end of Smather's Beach as a clothing-optional area for a one-year trial period. Mayor Cates has notified FKFB that 4 designation signs will be needed.

A public commission workshop is scheduled for Tuesday March 30th on this issue. Naturists in the area should consider attending. Designation will require the vote of the mayor and at least 3 of the 6 city commissioners.

We request that no nude use be attempted prior to official designation.

Oct. 6, 2009: Key West Election Results

District 3: Former Commissioner Pais was an outspoken opponent of a c/o beach. We had supported Tom Lavender, a c/o beach supporter. Lavender was defeated by Billy Wardlow; the new commissioner has also said he will not support a c/o beach. No change here, and this is the worst news on our issue. But there is some good news...

Morgan McPherson lost his reelection bid as mayor. McPherson was a c/o beach opponent. The new mayor, Craig Cates, has said he would support a one-year trial of a c/o beach.

Wardlow is the only commissioner who is now on record that he would not consider a c/o beach. We now have 5 commissioners out of 6, and a mayor, who have not definitely ruled out a c/o beach.

Although the new Commission and Mayor may be judged more amenable to the c/o beach, continuing educational efforts by local naturists are essential to advancing the issue.

Florida Keys naturist beach advocacy organization website: • Florida Keys Free Beaches View presentation prepared by B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation to help educate officials and voters on c/o beach issues: • C/O beach presentation (a 4.2 MB PDF file)

Issue background:

Preliminary discussions and planning in late 2008 / early 2009 by B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation and South Florida Free Beaches led to the organization of Florida Keys Free Beaches.

July, 2009: the naturist coalition advocated a direct vote by the commission on the c/o beach issue; this was moved by Commissioner Teri Johnston, but did not pass. Commissioner Verge proposed that the issue be put as a referendum on the upcoming October election; this was passed by a 4 to 2 vote.

August, 2009: the Key West City Commission voted to rescind the scheduled October citizen referendum on a clothing-optional beach.

This was not a totally negative result, because the wording of the referendum, if passed, still gave the Key West Commission an option of whether or not it would designate a beach. In other words, the referendum still returned the issue to the commission, which had earlier declined to act to create a clothing-optional beach by a direct vote.

Read more on the issue (PDF)

Smathers Beach