Legislators heard five St. Croix rezoning proposals Monday. One would allow The Fred Hotel to add 30 or more rooms and another would help create a propane retail and storage site near the refinery.
While neighbors didn’t object to the proposal to the change zoning of four parcels on Strand Street in Frederiksted from W1 waterfront-pleasure to B1 central business, they did express 14 concerns, including security at a proposed 27-space parking area, increased traffic or change in the neighborhood’s character, infrastructure strains on roads and utilities, as well as change in general in the historical area, said Clarence Brown, managing principal of Design District. Any construction or change of use in the area would need to be reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Office and the Historic Preservation Committee.
“This proposed amendment will not disrupt the established character of the area and will add much sought-after vitality to this part of Frederiksted,” Brown told the Senate’s Committee of the Whole.
The proposed site is at plots number 36, 37, 38, and 42 Strand Street.
In Estate Cassava Garden, near the oil refinery, VI Propane’s principals, Sirri Hamad and Atta Misbeh, asked for an I-2 Light Industry use variance to build and operate a propane storage, retail, and wholesale business. The area is already industrial or otherwise undeveloped, representatives of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources said.
Hamad and Misbeh planned to start construction in early 2025 if the variance was granted. Alicia Barnes, Environmental Consultant representing VI Propane, said the site was an ideal location for such operations.
In Teague Bay, Teague Paradise President Michael Joukowsky wanted a minor coastal zone permit in order to bring an existing dock into compliance. The dock had been battered by storms since 1990’s Hurricane Hugo, causing potential environmental and safety concerns, he said.
Joukowsky wanted to secure the dock and reduce its size from 338 square feet to 268 square feet.
“The repaired dock will be for my personal use to dock my boat. After purchasing the land from the previous owners, I have dedicated myself to cleaning the entire property, including removing seven containers of refuse, tires, trailers and a 50-foot seafaring fishing boat which had become lodged onto the land,” he said.
The dock is on the seaward side of plot 20, Teague Bay, Christiansted.
A plan by Lasso Investment Holding to build a mixed-use commercial area alongside a new tiny-homes neighborhood in Mount Pleasant would require a zoning change from low-density residential R2 to business B3. The plan could bring 16 tiny homes to the area accessible by golf cart. The area may also be the new home of Neighborhood Pharmacy, currently located on Saint George Road. The site is remainder plot number 8, Estate Mount Pleasant, Prince Quarter.
Ezra Garib and Atarah Garib asked for a zoning change in Estate Williams Delight that would allow for six apartments to be built on 0.308 acres of land currently zoned for low-density residential use. By switching to medium-density residential, twin two-story buildings could be built, each having a pair of one-bedroom apartments and a single two-bedroom apartment available for long-term rental. The site is plot number 1068, Estate Williams Delight, Prince Quarter.
The Senate took no action on any of the applications Monday.
