Bay Isle Associates has withdrawn its request to rezone a 0.28-acre parcel on the Grande Bay site from W-1 to R-4, after Gov. Charles W. Turnbull vetoed its approval by the V.I. Senate on Nov. 10.
The chief researcher at Sen. Roosevelt Davids office confirmed the withdrawal on Monday, Dec. 19. David Band of Bay Isle Associates, however, denied that the withdrawal had been made.
We havent made that decision yet (to appeal the veto), said Band. Well probably have a decision around the first of the new year.
Liza Trey, one of four owners of a St. John property next to Grande Bay who are suing the developers for privacy nuisance, due to code violations, said she was in shock and awe when she heard that the request had been withdrawn. Trey said that she also confirmed the withdrawal of the rezoning request with Davids office.
The zoning change would have allowed Bay Isle Associates to build 14 condominiums, which had already been planned and sold, contingent on the zone change.
Marina, Dock Could Now Be Built
Despite public perception, the R-4 zoning that Bay Isle Associates requested is more restrictive than the parcels current zoning of W-1, construction manager Kelly Frye said in a previous interview with St. John Tradewinds.
Here we are asking for a down-zoning, said Frye. As a part-time St. Johnian, Id rather have one three-story and one one-and-a-half story, as opposed to all the other things that we are allowed under W-1. Under the W-1 code, by right, we can build a dock, a marina, a restaurant, a sundry shop and so many other things.
The square footage allowed under W-1 is almost the same as that allowed under R-4.
There is a misunderstanding by the public that if this rezoning application is turned down, we wont be able to build condos and that we will have to build a smaller building, said Frye.
That is absolutely not true, he confirmed. The public needs to know that if this application is not approved, two three-story buildings, a marina, a dock, a restaurant and a sundry shop would be built in lieu of one three-story building and one one-and-a-half story building without a dock and marina.
Neither Frye nor Band would comment on the companys plans for Grande Bay following Turnbulls veto of its rezoning request.