Oct. 15, 2007 — With developments such as Yacht Haven Grande and the Crown Bay Commercial Center in full swing, plans are in the works to bring a similar type of facility — replete with retail stores, luxury condominiums and themed restaurants — to the East End of St. Thomas.
Principals in the development outlined their ideas during Monday's Committee of the Whole hearing, as they asked senators to grant a request that would rezone 12.5 acres of land in Smith Bay from A-1 (agricultural) to B-2 (business-secondary neighborhood). A zoning variance — which allows the property to be used for something other than its designated purpose — would also be needed to allow for the construction of a climate-controlled storage facility, they said.
The storage facility is not geared toward retail or commercial use, but would instead be tailored to specific clients in need of storing and preserving certain types of goods, explained local attorney Arturo Watlington. Representatives from the Yssis Group, the main contractors on the project, added that the walk-in vaults would be built on a large-scale level, and would not be used for storing such things as hazardous materials.
Still, the construction of a storage facility on the property — which is surrounded by the Smith Bay Cemetery and the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort — was a sticking point for representatives from the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, who initially recommended that the use variance not be granted.
"The representatives of the Smith Bay Commercial Center have failed to provide a clear response on their complete vision for the warehousing portion of this project," said Julius Jessup, a senior planner for DPNR. Warehouse facilities are only permitted in certain industrial zones, and, in this case, would have be built with specific dimensions and set up to 20 feet away from the main roadway, he explained.
"The warehousing facility is not fully acceptable for this area," Jessup added, explaining that DPNR would soon be embarking on a comprehensive development plan for the Smith Bay Corridor.
However, representatives from the Yssis Group explained that only 20 percent of the building — which they referred to as a "mixed-use" facility — would be used for storage, while other parts would be converted into office space, mailbox services and climate-controlled vaults.
The Smith Bay group originally provided different plans, leaving the DPNR at a disadvantage because it did not have time to review the revisions prior to Monday's Senate meeting, DPNR representatives said.
"We did see, however, that the consultants have addressed many of our concerns," said Wanda Mills-Bocachica, director of DPNR's Comprehensive and Coastal Zone Planning Division. "We do see some modifications here, and some of them were made in reference to the recommendations we had submitted."
In his remarks to senators, Jessup added that DPNR recommended that the property be rezoned to W-1 (waterfront pleasure), which would accommodate the non-warehousing portion of the facility and complement nearby developments such as Sugar Bay, Coral World and Coki Point Beach. DPNR does not support a B-2 rezoning, he said, because such a designation would allow for a variety of other uses.
"The granting of a rezoning from A-1 to B-2 is too drastic for what remains of the Bovoni Corridor," Jessup said. "If the project occurs as planned, a high-end residential development would be situated between a 43,200-square-foot facility and a cemetery. Ironically, such a development would fall in line with the unplanned and haphazard development occurring in the USVI, which is not ideal and is far from sustainable."
The W-1 designation does not allow for the construction of the commercial center, Watlington argued. Additionally, the property is not located near the water, he said.
"The Smith Bay road, along with all the acreage that goes toward Lindqvist Beach, divides our property from any water," Watlington said. "Going along with that, the W-1 zoning doesn't allow for any commercial activity. I hope DPNR can re-review it and amend their recommendation."
The entire project is estimated to cost about $29 million, he added.
Since senators are not allowed to vote on matters up for consideration during Committee of the Whole meetings, the rezoning request must now be sponsored by a senator, drafted into bill form and approved by the full legislative body.
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