Sept. 20, 2006 Coral Bay resident John Costanzo, during a Wednesday public hearing, said he's concerned that plans by Leslie and Myrine Marsh Hodge to built a three-story, 11-unit apartment building near his house will obstruct his view and his breeze.
Costanzo was the only person to testify at the hearing, which was held at the Legislature building by the St. John Coastal Zone Management Committee.
"And there's not enough parking for the existing house," Costanzo said.
The Hodges live next door to their proposed apartment building, located on lower Bordeaux Road off Route 107.
They plan 11 parking spaces for the eight one-bedroom
and three two-bedroom apartments on their one-third acre hillside lot.
"It was a challenge getting the 11 parking spots on that site," architect Vance Pinney said. He said the V.I. building code calls for one parking spot per unit.
Costanzo said that he's had several close calls while driving down the road. He said they happened because people who live in the Hodges' house have to park on the road.
CZM Committee member Andrew Penn Sr. also expressed concerns about the parking situation for the proposed apartment building.
CZM Program Director Victor Somme III said that no date has been set for the CZM Committee to make a decision on the permit application.
The committee also finished dealing with Coral Bay Marina's request that it change some of the conditions imposed when it OK'd the permit application on Aug. 10.
The members had discussed the request at a meeting Tuesday, but decided to hold a decision over until the Wednesday meeting to give the staff and members time to iron out the details.
Attorney Brion Morrisette had asked the committee to remove the condition that called for a rezoning or a variance for the piece of land where the marina's wastewater treatment plant will sit.
At the Tuesday meeting, Morrisette contended that the existing zoning is adequate.
The committee Wednesday agreed to allow Coral Bay Marina to get the rezoning or variance before construction begins. Initially, the committee required the rezoning or variance as a condition of receiving the permit.
The committee also agreed to eliminate a condition that called for an analysis by an engineer that the docks could withstand a Category 1 hurricane.
Somme said that the condition was eliminated because that analysis will be covered in the building permit.
The committee also agreed to several other minor changes to the conditions. Most were changes in the timing and allowed the conditions to be met before construction began rather than before the permit was issued.
Coral Bay Marina plans to build a 116-slip marina on Route 107 in Coral Bay.
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