After several failed attempts, would-be developers of 15.9 acres of virgin green space on St. Croix received rezoning approval Wednesday.
The 36th Legislature voted unanimously 14-0, with Sen. Marise James absent, to rezone the property from R-1, scattered residential, to R-3, medium-density residential. The distinction allows for accommodations for 80 people per acre, with 35% of the space reserved for unimproved open areas, according to V.I. law.
Property owner Atta Misbeh had previously tried to build a strip mall on the land, then condos under a B-2, scattered business zoning that would allow for retail spaces he promised not to build. The reason for the business designation was solely to ease financing, Misbeh representatives said.
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. suggested the Senate’s 2022 approval of Misbeh’s plan was based on special interests and vetoed the measure. Then, in February, Bryan suggested a rezoning plan to allow for housing development.
People from surrounding neighborhoods called all the rezoning plans a ruse.
The Division of Comprehensive and Coastal Zone Planning recommended against rezoning. DPNR experts said community land use decisions shouldn’t take into consideration a landowner’s financing needs.
Bryan’s proposed plan would have rezoned the area to B-2 but disallow any activity beyond housing, according to a Government House press release.
Senators Wednesday said testimony against the rezoning proposal wasn’t fully considering the territory’s housing crisis and was instead practicing a not-in-my-backyard mentality.
The debate reflected a broader tension between the territory’s need for additional housing and concerns about preserving neighborhood character, managing drainage and traffic, and adhering to the newly adopted Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan, which emphasizes limiting spot zoning. The dispute comes as St. Croix faces ongoing housing shortages and rising concerns about how new development fits within long-standing residential communities.
Last minute amendments to limit use of the Beeston Hill land were not made immediately available for review.
