The Bridle Path was built during the depths of the depression to beautify Key West and attract tourists. WPA workers cleared the path, planted the double rows of palms, and renamed this promenade the Bridle Path. But unfortunately most of the land under the Bridle Path was never officially dedicated to public use and remained in private ownership right up to the curb of South Roosevelt. By the 1970s, the Bridle Path was lined with billboards advertising the mangroves and open salt pond for sale for high-rise development.

It looked like the path was history, but in 1973 the Federal Clean Water Act restricted filling wetlands. In the 1980s, the city, the county land authority and conservation groups initiated a Salt Ponds land acquisition program to protect the island's last natural areas and provide passive recreation. The Bridle Path was the first priority because of its visibility and public use. It crossed 10 undeveloped privately-owned parcels covering over 73 acres.

All of the Bridle Path is now in public ownership, except for the Swift property. The proposed development of this last parcel threatens to undo the successes of the past 20 years. The Swift parcel is centrally located on the Bridle Path next to the Riggs Wildlife Refuge with its salt pond boardwalk. "Grandfathered" rights would allow the developer to fill mangroves and possibly lead to blocking the Bridle Path. A building would tower over the low canopy, and introduce noise, pets, and other impacts that would destroy the habitat value of the surrounding salt pond.

A proposed sale agreement for the property is again on the table, based on a fair market appraisal of over $1.2 million. Fortunately there are willing sellers, willing buyers, and the financial means to acquire the property at no cost to the taxpayer. The city would use $500,000 from the Fort Taylor Salt Ponds fund, which is earmarked only for Salt Ponds acquisitions and was used in the past to purchase other Bridle Path parcels and Little Hamaca Park. In addition the city would provide five ROGO building units, appraised at $100,000 each, to be transferred off site, along with the one unit attached to the property. These units would be used in other developments that have already been approved, but lack ROGO permits.

The City Commission now has an opportunity to bring to completion the 20-year effort to preserve the Bridle Path. The critical importance of the three-acre Swift parcel to the Bridle Path and the whole Salt Ponds ecosystem is magnified by its uniqueness. It is the last piece in the puzzle. The Bridle Path has been an important asset to the economy, environment, and quality of life on Key West for more than 70 years, and the city should act to buy the Swift parcel before it is too late. In the years to come, it will not be remembered who owned the last private parcel, but only that the people of Key West had the long-range vision to preserve it.

The Bridle Path has survived a period of intense growth, the state Transportation Department's attempts to pave it for roadway, homeless encampments, RVs, dumping, and many other abuses because of our community's commitment to protect it by speaking out publicly, by acquiring land, hiring rangers, building a homeless shelter, prohibiting parking, removing exotic vegetation, landscaping, fencing, clean-ups by civic organizations, and numerous other efforts. In many ways the Bridle Path is better today than ever. This last privately owned parcel is the keystone that will make or break the whole Bridle Path project, and its acquisition will assure that the Bridle Path will be preserved and accessible to the public forever.