A Peary Court Lament

I live across the street from Peary Court.  I often sit on my front porch and watch the sun rise.  Sometimes I sit on the porch and watch the after work hustle around town in the late afternoon.

As I gaze across the street I see  neat little complex of housing behind an historic military fence.  I see many younger working people coming and going about their business.  I see children playing in relative safety from traffic and strangers, I see dogs and their owners, running loose in the grassy areas, enjoying the outdoors in a peaceful and playful manner.  I see older folks walking their dogs, and even a leashed cat or two, under the mature trees, the owners with their little bags to clean up after their pets.  I can see that some of the families are military, by their working clothes, and some are not.  Regardless of the controversial history of the property and its use, it doesn’t matter to me. The prime thing I see is regular working class folks enjoying a nice peaceful and affordable (by old Key West standards). rental property.  It  presents itself as a nice place to live.  All safe, decent, and affordable, and all rentals, for working folks, young and old.

We desperately need more of this kind of community atmosphere in Key West, not less.  But, as current plans move ahead, we will soon be losing what little we have, already in place at Peary Court.  The new owners want the buildings to be razed, only to be replaced by new houses for sale at new Key West prices, some allegedly “affordable” to some buyers, with yet another property owners association to control their assets; no rental housing is anticipated.  Why must it always be about ownership and making more money?

Karl Reutling

Key West