St. Maarten Private Eye

The Sint Maarten PRIDE foundation along with the Nature foundation of St.Maarten received complaints from the residents regarding the coming boatyard in Cole bay infront of the Kool Bay villas. PRIDE foundation decided to call a meeting with the various government departments Inspection, VROM,ROB, Public Works and have them meet the residents at the boat yard site, so they can listen to the residents new concerns.

The developer Mr. Velasquez has already received his hindrance permit and other permits that he can start construction. Not one government department showed up to that meeting to listen to the concerns of the residents, the only invitee that showed up was Public Prosecutor Paul Mooij. Once a developer starts construction, it is the job of the Inspection department to keep an eye on that building site and make sure the building is going according to the planning permits, also make sure that the site is being constructed in a safe manner and that all is going according to our building laws.

The fact that not one government department of Public Works came to see what the concerns of the residents are showed that Public Works do not seem to care nor take community groups seriously.

The Kool Baai Villas residents have a valid complaint when they state that the road that Bobby built (By filling in the lagoon) which gives them parking as well, is also higher than the low lying Kool Baai villas, however this drainage issue should not be the problem of Bobby, but the government departments, their engineers should have seen this coming when they handed Bobby his building permits, hindrance permits etc. A proper drainage should be looked at now by government departments before any serious rainfall occurs.

The environmental groups did receive from Bobby a gentlemens agreement where he promised he would replace mangroves, put up a high wall to block out the views of a boat yard and plant ornamental trees and plants outside the wall. Also, an agreement that his boat yard would be closed on sundays to give the residents peace of any noise hindrance on that day. However, it is a fact that a sizable chunk of the Lagoon will be filled again by this developer as other developers are also doing around the lagoon.

The Kool Baai Residents are also saying that the area infront of the Kool Baai villas was never supposed to be filled, to their knowledge what they were told it was supposed to be the area where the boat yard itself was going to be located, next to them. Now they are faced with the filling happening infront of their houses, they fear that their views will also be lost.

It makes no sense to have this argument between the developer and the residents as this can turn into a heated argument as happened during the meeting when the developer showed up. The government departments should have been there, as it is their job and duty to make sure all is going accordingly. They could have explained what the developer is doing right or wrong and they could have listened to the drainage problem.

As it stands right now, it seems that developers get a permit in their hand, more times than not, developers make changes to the plans, in many cases they do not follow what their permits allow them and our Public Works department never checks or follow up on these large building sites.

There is also another problem, while the residents are targeting Bobby as he happens to be in their view, a boat yard next door that has been in operation for approx. 7 years does not have a hindrance permit, that site has been filled and their piers are also way out in the lagoon and it seems that the same owners of this boat yard is now constructing a ware house almost next door to the Kool Baai villas. And again no one from Public Works goes to make sure that the construction of the warehouse has permits and what do you do with the next door boatyard that has no hindrance permit when they had Bobby waiting for 2 years for his hindrance permit?

Sint Maarten PRIDE foundation