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SAND KEY Lighthouse auction #211358 10/20/19 01:20 AM
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ericlighthouse Offline OP
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Hi all,
Eric from the Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation, the auction started March 28, 2019 and is still going on, despite no bids in the last 3 months. There are 5 bidders, 2 of us have bid 2 or more times, 3 have only bid once. The bid right now is $24,000. Bidders are assigned a number, so we don't know who we are bidding against. I was told that the GSA the auction normally goes about 2 months, but now it is over 6 months....can't figure out why? We are waiting for the deadline to be announced before we bid again. The delay did help us some in the beginning, but no donations lately. Tired of checking the bid, but they don't send you a message when you have been outbid. In another part of the country they have had 3 lighthouses go to auction after Sand Key and they have all ended.


Eric, Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation; Godfather of Jones Point River Lighthouse; member and District Commissioner of Florida Lighthouse Association et el
Re: SAND KEY Lighthouse auction [Re: ericlighthouse] #211435 05/18/20 03:06 PM
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ericlighthouse Offline OP
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Hi all,
an update. The problem is with the title. GSA had been told by the state of Florida, that everything was OK, but then someone realized the island is gone except a very small piece at low tide and not even under the lighthouse. I talk to several people in the state and it seems they have a solution. If the issue was not fixed we couldn't re-built the keepers quarters. Of course the virus has most likely slowed things down too. Come May 28th it will be one year and two months since the auction started.
The good news is we are in first place again, at $26,000 and if we win at that price we will have funds for an assessment and perhaps since zincs to put on the legs and stop the corrosion.


Eric, Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation; Godfather of Jones Point River Lighthouse; member and District Commissioner of Florida Lighthouse Association et el
Re: SAND KEY Lighthouse auction [Re: ericlighthouse] #211436 05/18/20 11:03 PM
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Dave H Offline
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Congratulations on being the high bid. Hopefully it will stay that way!

Interesting that, as I understand what you have said, the problem is that there is no longer land under the light? If that is the case would it not become the sea bed below the light? Are they saying they can't sell the light without land under it, one that for all practical purposes is just built over water? Wouldn't this make it similar to a screwpile light which was built on the sea bed?

Re: SAND KEY Lighthouse auction [Re: ericlighthouse] #211444 06/26/20 07:45 AM
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ericlighthouse Offline OP
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Hi Dave,
they can sell the lighthouse, but being a submerged property, we couldn't build the keepers house under the current rules. The state can do it different, and I have talked to some people at the state and they said they have a way to do it. They had a meeting a few weeks ago, but so far no word. Come Sunday it will be 15 months and as of this morning still no deadline for the auction to end.
I use to say jokingly, I may not live long enough for us to get a reef lighthouse, and now sadly it could come true.
The deadline for rewriting the applications for the other 4 lights is June 30 and then it will be wait till next year, unless they are quicker than last time. The other 4 are Carysfort Reef, Sombrero Key, Alligator Reef and American Shoal.


Eric, Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation; Godfather of Jones Point River Lighthouse; member and District Commissioner of Florida Lighthouse Association et el
Re: SAND KEY Lighthouse auction [Re: ericlighthouse] #211448 07/01/20 09:41 PM
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Dave H Offline
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Sounds like all the lights are literately tied up in bureaucratic knots! Certainly would be nice if they could figure the whole mess out and solve it. I would think they would like to actually complete the project, sell the lights and move on to the next property. Someone may have decided to make a career out of selling the reef lights.

Re: SAND KEY Lighthouse auction [Re: ericlighthouse] #211459 07/23/20 08:08 AM
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ericlighthouse Offline OP
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Update. Still no deadline for Sand Key, as of July 29 it will be one year and four months since the auction started. This is slow torture for me.
Meanwhile we submitted our revised applications for Carysfort Reef, Sombrero Key, Alligator Reef and American Shoal. The same day they extended the deadline another month. So a total of 3 extensions for these lighthouses. I will bet we don't hear a decision until 2021.
So far the boat trips are on for December, go to www.reeflights.org for more information Or go to our Facebook Or just email me at ericlighthouse@yahoo.com Or call me (Eric) at
407-341-7374.


Eric, Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation; Godfather of Jones Point River Lighthouse; member and District Commissioner of Florida Lighthouse Association et el
Re: SAND KEY Lighthouse auction [Re: ericlighthouse] #211460 07/26/20 07:45 PM
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The Cape Cod Store.com Offline
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One would think that the longer it takes to transfer these lighthouses, the worse shape they will be in for the new owners and more money will have to be put into their restorations.


Roland Babineau
The only true Harbour Lights dealer left in the world and the ONLY retailer in the world authorized to sell Harry Hine's lighthouse collectible line!
http://www.thecapecodstore.com/harbor_lights.html
Re: SAND KEY Lighthouse auction [Re: ericlighthouse] #211521 10/25/20 12:42 AM
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ericlighthouse Offline OP
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Deadline finally set. November 17th at 2:00 PM. We are having a final fund raising drive. No new bids yet. Plus a new bidder could come in. WE are in first place at $26,000. If we end up winning at that price we will already have money for an assessment, anodes and maybe minor repairs. In addition fund raising will be easier and may get a grant or two. If you want to donate go to www.reeflights.org . Thanks to those who have already donated.


Eric, Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation; Godfather of Jones Point River Lighthouse; member and District Commissioner of Florida Lighthouse Association et el
Re: SAND KEY Lighthouse auction [Re: ericlighthouse] #211568 03/13/21 05:05 PM
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ericlighthouse Offline OP
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Forgot to update. We lost, our final bid was $60,000 the winner was $83,000. The winner emailed me and then I talked to one of the group, they had plans to do a full restoration and seemed interested in us running the place, however, they back out and did not close. GSA would not give me any information on if the second place person(s) were going to close or not. If they don't then the GSA has to decided weather to do a new auction or just hold on to it for now.
I really thought we would win and was crushed when we lost. Of course we have put in for the other 4 reef lights. The committee is done, but won't tell us there recommendations. Waiting for the new Secretary of Interior to be selected and we will appeal to that person.


Eric, Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation; Godfather of Jones Point River Lighthouse; member and District Commissioner of Florida Lighthouse Association et el
Re: SAND KEY Lighthouse auction [Re: ericlighthouse] #211572 03/15/21 03:36 PM
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Dave H Offline
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Eric,

To say the very least, this is a sad state of affairs and illustrates how badly the DoI has lost its way. I thought the original intent of the law was to find a qualified recipient in the form of a non-profit or other governmental agency, and give them the lighthouse. Had that been done when this whole mess started, you could have been well on your way to saving Sand Key, or at least stabilizing it, using the money you have had to raise to try and buy it. It would be interesting to know why the winner backed out of the deal. At this point, for the DoI to re-start the whole process and draw it out for another 5 years would be criminal, IMO. Actually, at this point they should give you the light with the caveat that the funds you used to bid instead be fully used to stabilize. The longer they hold on to the light the worse off it will be, and the more it will cost the taxpayers.

Re: SAND KEY Lighthouse auction [Re: Dave H] #211586 05/13/21 06:36 AM
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ericlighthouse Offline OP
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The whole reason the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act was passed was so the Government COULD give lighthouses to non-profits. Before they couldn't (not sure why, but hey it's the Federal Government). On our applications for the 4 other lighthouses I reminded them of that (not to mention some may NOT even know). It also touch on the few lighthouses transfers that went bad and pointed out with hundreds of lighthouses this was bound to happen. Plus we haven't been given to the opportunity to work on a reef lighthouse. We ask to work on Fowey Rocks keepers house and were total in the short run no and in the long run maybe, however, that person is gone and Biscayne National Park did not return voice mails or emails last year. They don't have the staff and have no money for the lighthouse. The only thing that was done was paid for by the Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation and a grant we put in from the Florida Lighthouse Association. One tension rod was replaced on the bottom and anodes put on, unfortunately the anodes are not gone and the Park hasn't even tried to replace them.


Eric, Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation; Godfather of Jones Point River Lighthouse; member and District Commissioner of Florida Lighthouse Association et el

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