A long-running proposal to rezone nearly 16 acres of residential land in Beeston Hill to business use did not come before the Senate on Monday, leaving unresolved questions about which version of the bill lawmakers were prepared to consider.
The absence follows a clarification issued by Government House Monday stating that the version of the bill being considered by the Legislature was not the same proposal Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. transmitted earlier this year.
According to Monday’s press release, the governor’s bill rezones approximately 15.9 acres in Estate Beeston Hill from R-1 (Residential Low Density) to B-2 (Business Secondary Neighborhood), but includes permanent restrictions limiting development to a 24-unit clustered residential project on 3 to 4 acres, along with green space, a playground, and an outdoor meeting area. Any construction beyond that would require express legislative approval, and that restriction would run with the land in perpetuity.
Speaking to the Source Monday, Bryan said the proposal he submitted was intended as a compromise amid long-standing opposition from nearby residents who fear the land could ultimately become a commercial strip mall. “The owner’s argument is that he just wants the zoning to boost the land value,” Bryan said. “My legislation gives him what he wants — the zoning change — but requires him to go back to the Legislature to build anything else but housing.” Government House stated that the version under legislative consideration removed the very safeguards tying the rezoning strictly to housing. Whether that discrepancy led to the measure being pulled from the agenda remains unclear.
The Beeston Hill parcel has been the subject of repeated legislative attempts to rezone the property over the past four years. In 2022, lawmakers passed a rezoning measure allowing business use, only for Bryan to veto it in 2023, citing concerns about special interests and community opposition. Neighbors have consistently argued that changing the zoning designation could open the door to increased traffic, drainage problems, and commercial development out of character with the surrounding residential area. DPNR previously recommended against rezoning the property, noting that financing considerations — including claims that B-2 zoning would increase the land’s appraised value — are not grounds for a zoning change.
Instead, senators met in Committee of the Whole Monday to consider Bill No. 36-0235, ratifying the governor’s approval of Major Coastal Zone Permit No. CZT-09-22(W) for Anquet, Inc., which operates the Frenchtown Marina on St. Thomas. Representing the company, attorney Adriane J. Dudley appeared alongside Patricia Quetel, vice president, and William “Billy” Quetel, secretary/treasurer. The Quetel family has owned and operated the marina since 1987, with family roots in Estate Honduras dating back to 1939, and testified that they have rebuilt and maintained the facility through multiple hurricanes.
The renewed 20-year Coastal Zone Management permit, originally filed in September 2022, drew detailed questioning from senators over its timeline and financial terms. Lawmakers pressed Coastal Zone officials about why the permit process restarted in 2022, learning that Anquet had previously disagreed with fee assessments during an earlier renewal attempt in 2008 and that negotiations over updated permit fees — which increased from $4,500 annually to $9,000 — took time to resolve. CZM Director Marlon Hibbert testified that the delay between 2022 and 2025 was partly due to staffing and legal capacity constraints within the division, and confirmed the permit aligns with Title 12, Chapter 21 of the Virgin Islands Code.
Several senators requested updated tax clearance letters and business licenses before committing to a vote, while others questioned how Anquet would sustain operations given that its lease agreement with tenant Waypoint Yacht Charters was negotiated before the new permit fee was finalized. Company representatives acknowledged that current lease revenue does not fully cover the increased permit costs and said they are seeking additional tenants at adjacent Estate Honduras properties to offset expenses. Lawmakers also examined provisions governing assignment or transfer of the permit, with counsel explaining that any transfer would require CZM approval and compliance with all existing conditions.
By the end of the hearing, senators acknowledged the marina’s long-standing role in Frenchtown’s marine economy while signaling that documentation and clarifications would be required before final action. The Beeston Hill rezoning, meanwhile, remains pending, its next appearance before lawmakers uncertain.
