St. Maarten Private Eye

September 23, 2005

Executive Council
Of the Island Territory of St.Maarten
Government Adminstrative Building
Clem Labega Square
Philipsburg

RE: OBJECTION TO PP# 05059 EMILIO WILSON ESTATE

Dear Council,

The Sint Maarten PRIDE foundation has taken note of the proposed plans presented in the Planning Permit request #05059 for the subdivision of the Emilio Wilson Estate.
We are hereby objecting to this planning permit for several reasons;

In the application for the planning permit there is no proof that the developer “Emilio Wilson Estate B.V”. actually owns the land. The proof of ownership document is missing from the Planning Permit file.
The proof of ownership or notarial deed is one of the documents required to be submitted before a planning permit can be put on public review.
As it stands today, it is merely an expectation that Emilio Wilson Estate B.V. will own the land in the future as they even admit in the “explanatory notes to the plan”. It says under 2.a.1 (ownership) that Emilio Wislon Estate B.V. will buy (wordt gekocht - future tense) the former plantation Industry and Rockland in the middle of August 2005. On September 13th 2005 the property was however still registered in the name of the late Emilio Wilson -a copy of the extract is attached for your convenience.

We would also like to bring to your attention that we have researched the records of the Chambers of Commerce of Sint Maarten, Curacao, Aruba and all chambers in Holland. We did not find any registration of a company by the name of Emilio Wilson Estate B.V. so we doubt if this company actually exists.
For this reason we consider this Planning Permit #05059 null and void, and we hope the council will adhere to the proper rules of governance and pull back this planning permit from Public Review.

The property in question has several historical and ecological sensitive areas that our foundation believes should be saved, restored and kept as a valueable national treasure for the people of St.Maarten.
The foundation has noted f.i. the Old Governor’s House which was the dwelling of our first Governor John Philips, slave walls, slave paths, and graves dating back to the slavery period.
We believe that because of these historical artifacts and monuments they should be preserved and added to our monument lists for preservation and historical education for future generations.
The house where Emilio Wilson lived should also be added to the monument lists and can be made into a museum.

We believe that this property is one of such historical/ecological and environmental value that the entire area should be zoned as such.
Subdividing lots for residential purposes would add a strain to our only “green” Emilio Wilson Cultural Park, the plan also calls for the subdivision of the land next to the Emilio Wilson Cultural Park which is used as the parking lot for the Park.
Without the parking facilities, the Cultural Park will be unable to host weddings, children activities, and national holiday festivities.
This parking lot land is also used as a practice shooting range by our police and VKS and as a soccer field for the youth.
The strain we are reffering to are matters of sewage, runoff water from the hills, traffic congestion, loss of vegetation, and damage to the natural caves which are located at the top of the hill.
In the Hillside Policy 2.3 The Nature Park, it is stated in this document that based on a study about the natural resources of St.Maarten, it was concluded that the hillsides of Sentry Hill (among other hillsides listed) is important to the ecology and natural value of the island for their exceptional bio-diversity flora and fauna.

Taking all these important factors into consideration, we have come to a conclusion that PRIDE foundation will object to this Planning Permit and consequently to all other planning permits that will seek to develop this land into a commercial or residential area.
It is our intention to seek a special zoning for this area that will take the historical, ecological and environmental aspects of the area into consideration and also the impact of heavy congestion on our only “green” park, the Emilio Wilson Cultural Park.

Respectfully Yours,

Sint Maarten PRIDE foundation Marja Burghoorn
Jadira Veen Secretary
President

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