Parking Spaces Disappearing from Cruz Bay

The V.I. Energy Office trailer will be opening on what were a half-dozen parking spaces in the Inspection Lane parking lot. St. John Tradewinds News Photos by Eliza Magro

 

There are plenty of sandy beaches, hiking trails and rental cars on St. John, but parking spots remain few and far between. And now there are even fewer than before.

The V.I. government recently commandeered several parking spaces at the coveted Department of Motor Vehicles parking lot — one of the few public lots open for long-term parking — to make room for a Department of Planning and Natural Resources’ V.I. Energy Office location, according to Department of Public Works St. John Deputy Director Ira Wade.

“Since July of this year, the Division of Energy from DPNR was supposed to move a trailer over here so that they would have office space to provide St. John with energy saving services,” said Wade. “People won’t have to go to St. Thomas for those services anymore.”

Delays occurred when the company transporting the Energy Office trailer ran into problems, Wade explained.

“We still need to raise the level and get the solar panels in place,” he said. “The trailer is going to be powered by solar energy and will offer the same services to St. John residents as is offered to St. Thomas and St. Croix residents.”
The office, however, won’t be open anytime soon, added Wade.

“We are waiting for the transporter to come back and reposition the trailer properly and then we still need to get water and sewage hooked up to them,” he said. “Probably before the end of December that trailer will be fully operational.”

A few other long-term parking spaces in the Inspection Lane parking lot next to the public school bus stop have been leased to a private commercial enterprise selling sno-cones.

Department of Housing, Parks and Recreation reportedly leased several parking spaces in the same under the former HPR Commissioner appointed during the Turnbull administration.

Gov. John deJongh’s HPR Commissioner St. Claire Williams did not return Tradewinds requests for comment by press time.

 

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