The V.I. Legislature voted to override Gov. John deJongh Jr.’s veto to enact a spot rezoning in Clifton Hill on St. Croix, in order to allow Gregory Parris and Strong Construction to build a convenience store, during a busy legislative session Thursday.
“I know the neighborhood and the business really isn’t a change to the environment,” said Sen. Sammuel Sanes after the vote. “In these times, businesses are really struggling and, if the Legislature can help, it should,” he added.
During committee hearings, Parris petitioned to have an R-2 plot adjacent to St. Croix Central High School at No. 303 Clifton Hill rezoned B-3 to allow for the operation of a convenience store. Department of Planning and Natural Resources officials testified the convenience store would not be out of place in the neighborhood but opposed rezoning as a B-3 because it could allow other, inappropriate businesses to open on the site in the future.
Instead they suggested creating a variance to the current R-2 zone to allow for the store to operate. The Senate approved the rezoning in August. DeJongh vetoed the measure, saying DPNR opposed the rezoning because the property surrounding the plot is predominantly low density residential and is also near Central High School.
Voting to enact the rezoning over deJongh’s veto were Sanes, Sens. Judi Buckley, Diane Capehart, Kenneth Gittens, Alicia “Chucky” Hansen, Shawn-Michael Malone, Terrence “Positive” Nelson, Nereida “Nellie” Rivera-O’Reilly, Clarence Payne, Tregenza Roach and Janette Millin Young. Sens. Craig Barshinger and Myron Jackson voted no. Sen. Donald Cole was absent.
In other business, the senate passed a bill sponsored by Sanes, Buckley and Gittens, creating what is called a “revenue estimating conference.” The new government body would hold hearings and gather information in order to create these forecasts. It would be composed of the director of the Office of Management and Budget, the commissioner of Finance, director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, president of the University of the Virgin Islands, president of the V.I. Legislature and the Legislature’s post auditor.
A bill approved Thursday, sponsored by Rivera-O’Reilly and Malone, will allow any person or business inured "by a deceptive trade practice" to bring a class action suit. If the suit is successful, the bill would triple the amount of damages otherwise awarded. The measure would also award court costs to the winner if the court finds the suit "to be frivolous."
The Senate also approved a slew of bills and resolutions Thursday, including bills:
– from Sanes and Capehart increasing the maximum VIHFA loan to veterans from $110,000 to $220,000;
– from Rivera-O’Reilly to allow the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to issue non-driving license identification cards to any legal resident of the territory;
– from Nelson to create a referendum on the 2014 V.I. ballot asking if the U.S. Congress should increase the term of a V.I. legislator from two years to four years;
– and with multiple sponsors, naming Room 201 of the Charles Wesley Turnbull Regional Library the “June Lindqvist Room.”
The Senate also approved the following resolutions Thursday:
– from many sponsors, declaring an “energy crisis” in the territory;
– from Young declaring the U.S. Virgin Island the “Bush Tea Capital of the Caribbean;"
– from Sanes to posthumously honor and commend Sidney Lee and to name Route 80 the “Sidney Lee Road” on St. Croix;
– from Sanes honoring the late boxer Emile Griffith;
– from Nelson honoring James Alexander Johnson "for his many years of dedicated service and contributions to the Virgin Islands community and the labor movement";
– and from Rivera-O’Reilly authorizing using 2012 bond revenues to buy new radios and improve tower communications.
It also approved:
– the nomination of attorney Denise Francois for V.I. Superior Court Judge and businessman Calford Thomas to a St. Thomas/St. John seat on the V.I. Housing Finance Commission;
– and the renomination of Superior Court Judge Michael Dunstan and the nomination of Robert Molloy as a Superior Court judge.
Roach voted no on Molloy. With that exception, all the items discussed here were approved unanimously, with 14 senators voting yea and Cole absent.
The Senate also approved several changes to the V.I. criminal code, which are discussed elsewhere in the Source.
