Robert Carney of Flamboyant Realty Services got the go-ahead from St. John Coastal Zone Management Committee members on Thursday afternoon, February 8, to develop 75 acres of land on St. John’s East End into 31 lots ranging in size from one to eight acres each.
While Carney does not own the land, he represents the two property owners, Tennessee resident Ed Netherland and New Jersey-native Mark Davis.
Acreage Confusion
Confusion initially existed about the exact acreage of the parcel slated for development due to outdated maps and surveys, Carney explained after the CZM meeting at the Cruz Bay Legislature Building.
Original plans had the parcel at 85 acres, but after the latest survey the final tally is 75 acres, Carney explained.
Plans call for the construction of a 12-foot wide roadway with strategically placed 18-foot sections and 13 staggered pull-offs to allow for two-way traffic.
The width of the road is not in accordance with the Depart-ment of Public Works’ 20-foot regulation. While the developers have a 30-foot right of way, they want to construct 12-foot wide roads in order to “dodge the endangered plants,” Carney said.
Endangered Plants
Although local ecologist Gary Ray identified three protected plant species on the East End property, “the terrestrial re-sources were adequately add-ressed by the applicant,” ac-cording to the CZM staff report.
After a $1 million agreement with Privateer Bay Limited Partnership, the developers have a perpetual easement through the established East End subdivision to their 75 acres.
As has been the case for the past several permits, the St. John CZM Committee’s app-roval for the major CZM permit came with a number of special conditions — a total of 15 this time.
10 Percent Slope Allowed
Those conditions include requiring the developer to obtain “all Federal and Terri-torial Permits” prior to construction, installing protective berms to prevent silt runoff and not exceeding a 10 percent slope on the final road cuts.
St. John CZM Committee Chairman Julien Harley and members Madeline Sewer, Edmund Roberts, Andrew Penn and Gerald Hills were all present and voted unanimously to grant the major CZM permit.
“Long Driveway”
“Good luck — we’re going to hold you to the very strict conditions,” said Harley after the vote. “Let’s work together and do this right from the beginning.”
While the development might “sound like a lot,” it’s really a “long driveway,” said Carney.