More Than 300 Residents Sign Online Petition Against East Bay Beach Development

 

T-shirts and Petitions About one dozen of the 65 residents — mostly opposed ­— residents of East End St. John, including Bill Willigerod, Mat Vacharat and Mat’s son Lyrick, wore t-shirts expressing their opinions, above.

As residents heard more details of a proposed 28-unit development on the far end of East End, St. John, last week (see related story below) an online petition against the project continues to attract signatures.

On Friday morning, March 14, a total of 362 individuals signed the “Do Not Approve” petition agreeing that the project is out of scale for the island and poses a danger to the very charm that entices visitors to St. John.

“We, the undersigned, being residents and /or concerned individuals of St. John, Virgin Islands hereby petition DPNR (Department of Planning and Natural Resources) to DO NOT APPROVE development at 6A-1 Estate Hansen Bay and its surroundings for the proposed 28 unit East Bay Beach club on St. John,” the petition reads. “The rapid development throughout the small island of St. John has surpassed the rate at which our environment, infrastructure, and community can be sustained on a healthy and efficient basis.”

“We are very concerned and not convinced that the members of East Bay Holding Company, LLC are concerned with keeping the integrity of our small island at large but more concerned with enlarging their bank accounts,” according to the petition. “We value our island and refuse to let these type developments happen, especially being that the developers are not investing anything back into our community to offset their impact, such as parks, parking, and/or roadway improvement.”

“St. John is unique amongst the other islands and its character is what brings people here,” the petition reads. “If that essential small town relaxed community feel is lost and replaced by yet another major development then everyone loses; visitors, business operators and residents. Do not approve!”

“We’ve drafted this petition to strongly encourage all Virgin Island residents and or concerned individuals to sign the petition and join us in this effort to reasonably guide scalable growth to our community,” according to the petition.

The website allows signers to leave comments, many of which have lambasted the project.

“Many of us have grown up on this island we know as our home, our customs, our pride and most importantly our unity,” wrote Alexandria Jeffrey. “If more condos are built, it will be destroyed.”

“St. John has enough condos already,” wrote Cathy Hanscom. “It is an uncrowded jewel of the Virgin Islands. If you want tourists to continue to come no more monstrosities like Grande Bay and Serenusa.”

For more information, to sign the petition or leave a comment, go to  http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/do-not-approve-permits-for-east-bay-holdings-llc.