VI Update

USVI Public Records

A VI Update Project · Brian LoudenThe territory’s public record — kept public.

Zoning - PUBLIC COMMENTS

Collection
Hearing Records
Sub-shelf
Zoning
Kind
Hearing Record
Entity
Legislature of the Virgin Islands
Date
2025
Type
17. PUBLIC COMMENTS
Pages
2
Text
Native Text

Outlook [EXTERNAL MAIL] Beeston Hill rezoning request “Application No. CCZP0069-25.” From Lorine Williams <lorine@lorinewilliams.com> Date Thu 9/18/2025 3:48 PM To Leia LaPlace <leia.laplace@dpnr.vi.gov> Dear Mrs LaPlace and all other interested parties, Thank you for this opportunity for public input. As an active participant and as a member of the general public and a REALTOR in the development of the Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan, I have a concern that this development is outside and contrary to the overall plan. Once again this is spot zoning that doesn't conform to the Legislature approved Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan. it was the purpose of the plan to avoid this kind of rezoning. It is a well-known fact that the Virgin Islands and of particular interest to me, St. Croix has an affordable housing crisis . New construction in the form of single-family homes, townhouses or condos are very much needed, however they shouldn't be developed without thorough planning and consideration of all related factors. …

Download the original document · Plain text (TXT) · Browse the archive · How this archive works

Original source: https://legvi.org/committeemeetings/Zoning/STX%20CCZP0069-25%20%20%206A%20Beeston%20Hill/17.%20PUBLIC%20COMMENTS/LORINE%20WILLIAMS.pdf

SHA-256 1b44a64652874a6b322b1c8bb335d58faef106d27b425be8f46f46d96073f06f

Re-using this document

A proceeding of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands, open to the public under 3 V.I.C. § 881, which reaches any committee of any branch of government and permits the news media to publish what it records.

Our description, tagging, arrangement, extracted text and machine transcripts are released under CC0 1.0. We assert nothing about the document itself.

Archive identifier LF-1b44a6465287

Document text

Outlook [EXTERNAL MAIL] Beeston Hill rezoning request “Application No. CCZP0069-25.” From Lorine Williams <lorine@lorinewilliams.com> Date Thu 9/18/2025 3:48 PM To Leia LaPlace <leia.laplace@dpnr.vi.gov> Dear Mrs LaPlace and all other interested parties, Thank you for this opportunity for public input. As an active participant and  as a member of the general public and a REALTOR in the development of the  Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan, I have a concern that this development  is outside and contrary to the overall  plan.   Once again this is spot zoning that doesn't conform to the Legislature approved Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan. it was the purpose of the plan to avoid this kind of rezoning. It is a well-known fact that the Virgin Islands and of particular interest to me, St. Croix has an affordable housing crisis . New construction  in the form of single-family homes, townhouses or condos are very much needed,  however they shouldn't be developed without thorough planning and consideration of all related factors. There are many concerns about this planned 24 unit condo development. After listening to the presentation by the developer's agent, several things jumped out as questions to be addressed before any approval should be granted. 1)  I think it's important to know exactly where the 24 units would be constructed on this  15.9  acre parcel.  It was stated near the existing condos and to the west but exactly what and where will be the footprint? I didnt see a fully developed site plan. How close will the new structures be from the church and from the existing  Maison dePoincy Condos ? Where will the access road be placed? and what impact will there be on the traffic pattern and general congestion in that area? 2)  What are the plans for the remaining approximately 10 acres ? To approve this condo development without the total plan for the remaining acres, seems ill advised and risky. 3) As a minor point of interest, ( I apologize in advance for getting in the weeds a bit) , I'd like to point out that the stated goal of having 70% renter occupied poses some problems for the sale of the  remaining 30% of the project in regard to obtaining a mortgage.  If indeed 70% of the condos were rented then the remaining 30% of the condos would have to be purchased by cash because  current Fannie Mae/ Freddie Mac  mortgage regulations do not allow for that high ratio of renters versus owner occupied . The stated goal of the developer is  to supply housing for current and returning Virgin Islanders but if the purchaser is required to have cash that probably puts it out of the reach of most buyers . If a buyer desired to purchase one of these condos opposed to rent,  the condo would only be available for cash buyers unless the developer would provide private financing to the prospective buyer. The plan to have short term rental seems incongruous to the stated plan of providing homes for Virgin Islanders. 4) Is it not possible for the developer to build these 24 units using a PUD application which should not require a zoning change?  Under our current statues, is that not possible? 5) Could the developer be allowed to have the zoning changed to B2, since the presenter indicated that put them in a better financial position,  and have the caveat that no business or commercial ventures would EVER be permitted on the acreage? That is, it  ALWAYS would be limited to residential, no commercial activity there? Thank you , Lorine R. Williams Realtor Broker Associate St Croix resident for 41 years Sent from my iPhone ________________________________ Caution: This e-mail has originated outside of GVI network. Do not click on links or open any attachment (s) that might look suspicious unless you have knowledge of who the sender is. ________________________________