Dec. 20, 2008 — The public's recent opposition to the construction of two new communications towers on St. Thomas pushed government officials to take a second look at how it regulates some kinds of development, starting with an immediate six-month freeze on any related building or earth change permits until updated zoning and construction guidelines are put in place.
"My decision to impose a moratorium and allow the Department of Planning and Natural Resources to establish standards for such construction came after consultation with Gov. John deJongh Jr., and following the outcry of two residential communities on St. Thomas where tower construction was being planned without adequate notification to residents of the area," according to DPNR Commissioner Robert Mathes.
Residents on the West End of St. Thomas have been fighting the erection of a permanent tower slated to go up on a seven-acre piece of land adjacent to the multipurpose center in Estate Fortuna. For the past month, they have said the proposed site — a 5,000-square-foot parcel within the seven acres owned by the V.I. Finance Authority and recently leased to St. Thomas-based Royal Systems LLC — was promised to them by former government officials for the community's use, including serving as a base for a one-stop emergency services station.
DPNR halted the project after it was discovered that no earth change permit had been secured by the project's developers.
During a meeting held earlier this month, deJongh explained that the government had considered attaching to the tower some antennas needed to support the local 911 system. After talking with community members and working with various telecommunications experts, the government has since decided to use existing cell sites to support the system, possibly creating a broader network stretching from Fortuna to Botany Bay.
DeJongh also said he would work with DPNR to take a closer look at how tower construction is regulated in the territory. (See "Government Has No Stake in West End Tower, But Project Moving Forward.")
The proposed construction of a new tower in Louisenhoj has also come under fire from local residents. But DPNR recently put a halt to the project after construction activity tipped over into land that did not belong to the developer, Caribbean Tower Sites LLC.
At least seven or eight other applications for tower construction are currently pending at DPNR, Mathes said when contacted late Saturday.
"If we’re having this kind of community opposition to these projects, we thought it would be most prudent to take a comprehensive approach to how we deal with this kind of development," he added. "That also includes working with various communication companies in coming up with some innovative ways to work with 21st century technology."
Meanwhile, the moratorium applies to all pending and future earth change and building permits being filed for tower construction, Mathes said.
"This is not about discouraging business interests but ensuring that our building permitting standards are on track towards governing the development of such infrastructure," Mathes said in an earlier statement Saturday. "The moratorium will allow us the time to conduct a comprehensive study of what zoning and development regulations should be implemented. It is anticipated that the appropriate analysis and adoption of the necessary zoning regulations can be accomplished within six months."
Residents will be notified when the freeze is lifted.
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