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HomeNewsArchivesSt. John Town Meeting Covers Roundabout, Development Moratorium and Guns

St. John Town Meeting Covers Roundabout, Development Moratorium and Guns

March 26, 2008 — The contract to build a roundabout in Cruz Bay will be awarded in April, Public Works Commissioner Darryl Smalls said at a town meeting Wednesday called by Sen. Carmen Wesselhoft.
"The demolition of the Texaco is just about completed," Smalls told the nearly 40 people who attended the meeting held at the Legislature building. The roundabout is slated to go at the intersection of Centerline Road and Route 104.
Deputy Public Works Commissioner Ira Wade stressed that St. John residents who attended public meetings on the roundabout issue decided it was the best option to alleviate increased traffic, rather than stop signs or a stoplight. But several people at the meeting said they didn't want it.
St. John resident Abigail Hendricks expressed concern the roundabout would worsen traffic near the public tennis courts, located about a block from the roundabout site. Traffic backs up at this location when vehicles come off the barges at Enighed Pond Marine Facility.
She asked Smalls if Public Works would be "man" enough to say the roundabout doesn't work if it proves problematic.
"Are you sure we're not going to be stuck with a bridge to nowhere?" she asked, referring to the unused bridge in Nadir, St. Thomas, that's been the butt of many jokes. The department doesn't plan to fail, Smalls said.
Robert O'Connor Jr., who operated the Texaco station, suggested exploring alternatives.
"Sometimes we do plan wrong," he said.
The director of the Planning Division at the Planning and Natural Resources Department, Wanda Mills-Bocachica, outlined her plans to revamp the territory's planning process. However, her mention of the word "moratorium" upset at least one person attending the meeting.
"I hope you don't do a carte blanche moratorium and squeeze the indigenous landowners out," said St. John resident Yvonne Wells.
Planning's environmental specialist, Lelia LaPlace, had outlined possible ways a moratorium could work, but Mills-Bocachica said a moratorium was not in works. However, she said the department was working on a strategic plan to bring order to the development process.
She said 35 people applied for the St. John planner position.
"We now have a short list," she said.
While the planner will be based on St. John, he'll work on issues such as hillside guidelines that affect all islands, Mills-Bocachica said.
St. John resident Joan Thomas asked Police Chief Rodney Querrard how so many guns get into the territory.
"We do have local people bringing guns in from the States," he said.
Weapons, drugs and illegal immigrants also come in from nearby Tortola, Querrard said. Multiple investigations into the issue are in progress, he said.
The department is short staffed because it can't find qualified people, and there is no hope of opening the Coral Bay substation full time, he said. Officers are there during the day and periodically in the evening.
Out of 200 to 300 people who recently applied to become police officers, only 15 passed muster, Querrard said. Some were eliminated because they were convicted felons.
In response to a question from Sen. Liston Davis, he said the territory's weapon laws need to be tightened.
"We have many guns here in the Virgin Islands," he said. "Wait till Old Year's Night and all hell breaks loose.
Attending the meeting in addition to Wesselhoft and Davis were Sens. Carlton Dowe, Basil Ottley Raymond "Usie" Richards, Ronald Russell and Alvin Williams.
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