A lawmaker serving in the 36th Legislature is investigating the establishment of a paid parking lot in the heart of Cruz Bay, St. John.
Since signs designating the area as a paid parking lot appeared a few days ago, Senator-At-Large Angel Bolques says he has received dozens of calls from concerned residents. These calls prompted him to seek further information about the situation.
For more than 30 years, motorists have used the lot at Parcel 1A in Cruz Bay free of charge. The lot typically accommodates about a dozen vehicles, with a few spaces reserved for hire cars. In recent months, two or three spots appeared to have been taken over by souvenir vendors to store merchandise.
In early January, however, signs in English and Spanish announcing paid parking were installed. Posts linked by metal chains were placed along the street-facing side, and the lot was cleared of all vehicles except rental cars.
The lot is located across the street from the Victor Sewer Marine Facility at Cruz Bay Creek. It is bordered by snack vendors, a smoothie stand, and a Jeep rental company. The area also lies below the former site of the Lumberyard commercial complex, which was converted into a paid parking lot after Hurricane Irma heavily damaged the structures in 2017.
Questions about the changes in Cruz Bay were directed to St. John Administrator Shikima Jones-Sprauve, who referred inquiries to Assistant Property and Procurement Commissioner Vincent Richards. However, attempts to reach Richards for comment were unsuccessful.
Bolques said it remains unclear when the transaction occurred between the Department of Property and Procurement and an individual identified as Mr. Parsons. However, Bolques emphasized one important point:
“The last time I checked, I don’t recall seeing a lease come through the Senate,” he said. He also noted that no rezoning approval had been granted for a paid parking lot at Parcel 1A. Without these steps, Bolques suggested, the action might be illegal.
Still, Bolques acknowledged the possibility that the agreement was made before he assumed office in July 2022. He added that more effort may be required to uncover the facts.
The lack of free parking in and around Cruz Bay has been a topic of concern on travel sites and in local media since the mid-2010s. Public frustration grew in 2019 when the Port Authority fenced off its gravel lot in Estate Enighed near the Theovald Moorhead barge dock and implemented paid parking.
That decision eliminated dozens of free parking spaces for Cruz Bay motorists. Six years later, the fenced-in gravel lot remains less than half full, and government officials are now planning to turn it into a public park.
Free parking in Cruz Bay is limited. Available options include spaces along public roads, the lot adjacent to Government House at the Battery, and the lot near the Cruz Bay Tennis Court.
Together, these areas provide roughly 50 parking spaces for the island’s 3,881 residents, as recorded in the 2020 U.S. Census.
