The Virgin Islands Coastal Zone Management Commission on Thursday approved federal consistency determinations for two fire station reconstruction projects on St. Thomas and held a public hearing on a permit renewal for a long-operating building supply business in Crown Bay.
Commissioners voted to concur with federal consistency determinations for the George C. Scott Fire Station in Anna’s Retreat and the Fortuna Fire Station on the island’s west end, with staff concluding both projects are consistent with the Virgin Islands Coastal Zone Management Program and would serve the public good. The commission did not take action on the MSI Building Supply permit, leaving that matter open for public comment and a later decision.
The approved project calls for reconstruction of the George C. Scott Fire Station in Anna’s Retreat, including a FEMA-compliant safe room. Architects described a constrained site that results in an irregularly shaped, single-story building with apparatus bays, administrative areas, dormitories, a safe room and a completely enclosed generator.
Stormwater will be managed through subsurface systems beneath the parking lot, with overflow expected only during extreme flooding events. Commissioners raised questions about drainage maintenance, traffic safety near the heavily traveled road, and the timing and location of a temporary fire station while construction is underway.
Project representatives said they are targeting the nearby former curriculum center as a temporary location. Assistant Fire and Emergency Services Director Clarence Stephenson said the department is in communication with the Property and Procurement Department about a former memorandum of understanding, which he expects to submit by next week.
CZM staff concluded the project would result in minimal environmental damage and would not adversely affect public health or safety. The commission approved the determination with conditions requiring compliance with all other permits, construction best management practices, stormwater and dust controls, waste and hazardous-materials management, advance public notice of construction activity and traffic changes, flood-zone compliance, protection of cultural resources and securing the site ahead of storms.
Commissioners also approved a federal consistency determination for the Fortuna Fire Station on St. Thomas’s west end, where firefighters are currently operating from a trailer after storms damaged the existing facility.
Architect John Woods of Jaredian Design Group outlined a rural-style Fortuna station, very similar to a design used for Cotton Valley on St. Croix, describing a single-story facility set on a knoll with a retention pond, a drive-around access route for the apparatus bays, a septic system, a concrete roof and a FEMA-standard safe room with its own mechanical system. Woods said the team may reduce the building’s footprint during cost-saving design work, which would not increase and could lessen the project’s impact on the site.
Commissioners focused on maintaining fire and emergency response coverage for west-end communities during construction, expressing concern that relocating services too far away could leave residents underserved.
As a condition of approval, Virgin Islands Fire and Emergency Medical Services is required to make a “concerted effort” to secure an alternative location close to the Fortuna community while the new station is built. The commission approved the determination with conditions similar to those imposed on the Anna’s Retreat project.
Officials also noted there is enough land on the existing Fortuna site to relocate the current trailer within the property and operate around it during construction if needed, although they are still evaluating off-site alternatives.
In a separate agenda item, the commission held a public hearing on a major CZM permit renewal for MSI Building Supply, a family-owned construction materials business that has operated at Crown Bay for more than 50 years.
Company president Thomas “Tommy” Brunt said, “We are seeking the ability to renew our lease and continue to do business as we have for the last five plus decades,” adding that the company is not proposing any new construction and wants to continue existing operations under an updated permit and lease.
Commissioners questioned traffic circulation, parking and safety at the busy lumber and materials yard. MSI’s owners said they have taken steps to improve operations, including installing high‑capacity storage racks to move materials off the ground, using an adjacent interior showroom lot to provide additional parking, and encouraging contractors to place orders in advance so loads can be staged and on‑site wait times reduced.
They also described a preferred one‑way traffic loop through the site, while acknowledging that some drivers do not follow the posted pattern. MSI representatives said the business is connected to municipal water and sewer, maintains backup cisterns and operates a built-in generator room that supplies multiple buildings.
Staff said no new environmental assessment was required because no physical changes are proposed under the renewal. Public comment on the MSI permit renewal will remain open for seven days, after which the commission plans to hold a decision meeting within about 30 business days.
