At its most recent meeting, the Magens Bay Authority approved a moratorium on concessions and other commercial development at Smith Bay Park until an official use development plan is completed.
The authority — a semi-autonomous, self-sustaining group that receives no money from the V.I. General Fund — also agreed to halt proposals from vendors and any other outside developers at Magens Bay pending the completion of that park’s long-awaited master plan.
"Every month we are faced with a new proposal," said authority chairman Aubrey Nelthropp at the board’s monthly meeting Friday.
Nelthropp said two proposals still pending decision — an equipment vendor and a message booth at Magens Bay — will be grandfathered in but, as of Friday, there will be no more proposals accepted at either park until formal development plans are complete.
Members of the seven-seat board said Smith Bay Park is so quickly becoming popular that they needed to put the brakes on individual commercial plans until they have the long-range, big picture on paper.
The V.I. government originally purchased the 21 acres of beachfront property around Lindqvist Beach in late 2006 for $8.9 million, placing it under the Magens Bay Authority to enhance and manage as Smith Bay Park.
With what it has received of the original $1.5 million appropriated by the previous Legislature as startup money, the authority has cleaned up the beach, installed regularly serviced garbage cans, picnic benches, portable toilets and a temporary trailer.
More upgrades are planned, including a surfaced road, a gatehouse, and bathhouse to accommodate its capacity of about 200 beachgoers — with the ultimate goal of having the park pay for itself through admission fees and concessions as Magens Bay does.
Once the road is finished and the number of portable toilets is doubled, the members predicted that Smith Bay Park would pay for itself.
The authority has already been approached by tour operators and food and other vendors, all wanting to get in on the action early. Friday’s decision gives the authority more time to control the growth, members said.
A similar situation exists at Magens, they said. Vendors continue proposing concessions that would violate the existing concessions contract.
"If it has to do with the sale of an item, then we don’t even have to listen," Nelthropp said.
The master plan has been under development, off and on, for about two years.
The board gave a unanimous vote of confidence for the consultant, Vaccarino & Associates, whom they all said they wanted to see the project through.
No one ventured to predict when the plan might be done and the vendors could come knocking once again.
