Master development plan shown

A town meeting Oct. 5 will give residents the opportunity to comment on a proposed Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan proposed by the V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resources. At a preliminary session, senators discussed the plan in a meeting at the St. John Legislature. It would designate land-use and water-use guidelines for areas, ranging from industrial to agriculture, according to the Virgin Islands Daily News. A master plan for the VIs is considered critical for St. John which has only 19.4 square miles of livable space. Sen. Roosevelt David, at the meeting, hinted opposition, saying the plan appeared driven by environmental concerns rather than economic development. “That’s what puts food on the table,” he said, according to the St. John Source. St. John resident and architect Rob Crane said he opposes the plan. The current zoning methods are fine, but they are not enforced, he told the Daily News. The Source has posted online a PDF file of the 284-page plan. You can get it here.