75.3 F
Cruz Bay
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesCZM Prepares for Round Two on Controversial Inner Brass Dock

CZM Prepares for Round Two on Controversial Inner Brass Dock

June 6, 2008 — On the surface, it's just a permit for 83 feet of concrete dock. But the dock proposed for Inner Brass Cay has turned into a lighting rod for opposition to development on the outlying islands and cays of the Virgin Islands.
Before last month's Coastal Zone Management Commission (CZM) hearing on the proposed dock, the CZM fax machine was in overdrive, spitting out more than 100 opposition letters to the project. The hearing itself was so overcrowded the V.I. Port Authority police had to clear the room and the session was canceled. Meanwhile, an active email campaign by opponents has kept the fires stoked, suggesting another record crowd at the rescheduled hearing, slated for 6 p.m. Thursday in the cafeteria at Lockhart Elementary School.
Despite rumors connecting development on the cay to a development rumored for Hull Bay, the only item up for discussion at the public hearing is the proposed dock on Inner Brass Cay. It's the public's opportunity to offer testimony, and the CZM will then have 30 days to render a determination, accepting written input for a week after the hearing.
Regardless of earlier proposals, the project's applicant, Island Green, says all it wants to do now is build a simple dock to access its property on the cay, where it has already received a permit to build a cottage.
"We have requested and been provided feedback from many government agencies on a number of development ideas over the years," said Corby Parfitt, one of the principals of Island Green. "The downside of that approach is people can take ideas you have considered in the past as things you intend to do in the future — when in fact they are not."
Island Green's application states, "Any further development on the island by the applicant should not be a foregone conclusion." Nevertheless, opponents are skeptical. Thanks to a subdivision granted in 1969, the island has been parceled into more than 50 lots, and stands poised for development. But other than some unpaved roads, nothing has been built — yet.
Where there's smoke, there's fire, opponents say. Build a dock today, and who knows what will follow, says Helen Gjessing, chairman of the League of Women Voters of the V.I. Committee on Planning and Environmental Quality. Testimony submitted by her committee says, "… piecemeal proposals, particularly for large tracts of land, should not be permitted."
Opposition is not just limited to the public. Government entities have also commented unfavorably on the application. A letter dated Jan. 23 from the Department of Fish and Wildlife states, "We are aware that Island Green has a master plan for development of Inner Brass and other nearby properties on St. Thomas. Island Green's holdings on Inner Brass contain 56 already subdivided parcels, and it is highly unlikely that the current proposal is anything less than a first step for the much-larger development that is planned. The presentation of small elements of the larger plan is misleading and misrepresents the applicants' actual intentions."
Parfitt maintains his dock application is straightforward.
"Island Green has explored a number of other development plans and, quite frankly, none of them have proven viable economically or environmentally," Parfitt said. "Instead of pursuing any of them, we have decided to exercise our rights as property owners to provide safe access to our cottage in full compliance with all applicable laws."
Gjessing, a veteran of many such hearings, recommends that those who sign up to testify supply a written copy of testimony for each of the five commissioners.
For more information, contact the CZM at 340-774-3320 or visit its website.
Back Talk Share your reaction to this news with other Source readers. Please include headline, your name and city and state/country or island where you reside.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.