Dec. 12, 2008 — The St. John Coastal Zone Management Committee gave the Pond Bay Club permission to "enhance" its beach at a meeting Friday held at the Legislature building, and not everyone was pleased with the decision.
"It's a pity we continue to give away our land and we're continually hornswoggled," said Lisa Durgin, who lives just above the Pond Bay development.
Durgin was one of about 15 people, many of them Pond Bay neighbors, who attended the meeting. The Estate Chocolate Hole Landowners Association and the League of Women Voters of the Virgin Islands also sent letters opposing the enhancement.
The CZM Committee gave First American Development Group/Carib Limited Partnership, which is building the 50 luxury condominiums at Chocolate Hole, permission to enhance the beach on the land side of the high water mark by modifying its CZM permit. One of the conditions of that CZM permit prohibited beach "nourishment."
"It's the best thing for the bay and the community," First American developer Bob Emmett said after the meeting.
The enhancements call for things like removing cobble and large stones, distributing sand that was dredged years ago when Chocolate Hole was opened to the sea at the back of the beach, replacing invasive plant species with native plants, and implementation of a turtle lighting program to keep bright lights off the beach.
Pond Bay broke ground on the project on April 29. While the modification calls for beach enhancement on the land side of the high water mark, the project's architect, the St. Thomas-based Theresa Roberts, said that it's likely the developer will later ask for permission to renourish the water side of the beach. Renourishment means adding sand to the waterfront side of the beach.
"We're building a development here. We'd like to bring the beach up to the level of the development," she said.
However, at the Jan. 11, 2007 CZM meeting where the CZM permit was granted, Roberts said beach nourishment was not planned for the project. (See: "CZM Committee Gives Green Light to Chocolate Hole Hotel Project.")
The beach is yellowish sand with rocks, shells and other natural material interspersed with the sand. CZM member Jerry Hills pointed out that the developer's marketing materials show a white sandy beach. Additionally, Hills was annoyed that the marketing materials show pictures of Hawksnest and Trunk Bays, but don't indicate they are not Pond Bay.
"We're showing the beauty of St. John," Emmett countered.
First American pinned some of its request on the hope that by enhancing the beach, turtles would nest.
"The idea that beach nourishment will enhance turtle nesting is disingenuous," Hills aid.
Despite Hills' efforts to impose an additional control on Pond Bay Club's plan to "enhance" its beach, his fellow CZM members weren't convinced.
At issue for Hills is Pond Bay's plan to hand-clear cobble, rocks and debris from a portion of the beach. They're calling it a pilot project and representatives said they will consult with various agencies before continuing to clear the rest of the beach.
According to Hills, citing several scientific sources, when the cobble and rocks are removed from the beach, the sand will wash into the bay.
"This is very simple. When sand washes into the bay, it kills things," Hills said.
Hills wanted a defined time for the pilot project, with the results presented to the CZM at a public hearing.
He was the only commissioner to vote yes on his amendment. The two others, Andrew Penn and Edmond Roberts, didn't agree.
When it came time to take the vote on the permit modification, Hills voted no, but the other two voted yes.
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