The developers of the Grande Bay Resort condominium project heard angry reactions this week to their plans for their Cruz Bay development.
Bay Isles Associates requested a zoning change for two small land parcels which are part of the venture. The plan is to open a 10-12 table restaurant and a retail shop. But area residents who attended a Planning and Natural Resources zoning hearing objected.
Parking was the main issue, according to a report of the meeting by the St. John Source. Residents also complained about the condo project in general, anticipating noise, traffic congestion, and blocked views of the bay.
St. John architect Rob Crane said Grand Bay’s authorization was possible only through "a loophole" in Coastal Zone Management Rules. He complained development is stressing the island’s infrastructure, saying developers are "making money and we’re paying for it."
The reason for the zoning request change, from waterfront-pleasure to residential-medium density, was not clear, even to Grande Bay’s representatives. Kelly Frye, a partner, told the Source it was necessary to have the entire land area under the same zoning category.
I confirmed with DPNR, the reason Grande Bay wants to rezone from W-1 to R-4 is because they want to max. the number of additional condo’s. It would make their existing R-4 larger. This was not mentioned during the hearing.
I agree. The rezoning request makes no sense if they are already permitted to have a restaurant and gift shop there. They just want to bait and switch. Once they have the rezoning, a million bucks says they’ll turn around and build more condos instead. They’re trying to maximize their profit. It is for this type of behavior that developers have earned the loathing of so many. Suppose they’re lawyers, too?