Sustainable Change - Is What We Want

05/05/2026

St. Croix Community - Public Meeting Notice

Thursday May 14, 2026 @ 5:30 PM

Regarding Construction of a 150 ft. Communications Tower on the East End and a Reverse Osmosis Plant at St. Croix Renaissance Group (near Diageo)

St. Croix Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Committee Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 5:30pm
https://dpnr.vi.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Public-Notice-Media-5.14.2026-STX.pdf

21/03/2026

🚨 GOVERNOR BRYAN: THE DECISION IS NOW YOURS 🚨

The Legislature has voted to rezone 6A Beeston Hill.

Now, the future of this decision—and what it means for the entire Territory—rests with Governor Albert Bryan, Jr..

📌 LET’S BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT JUST HAPPENED:

• The Department of Planning & Natural Resources recommended DENIAL
• The Comprehensive Land & Water Use Plan—built with years of public input—was ignored
• Established zoning rules and policy were set aside

⚠️ BUT THERE’S AN EVEN BIGGER ISSUE:

The restrictions in this bill are not what the Governor previously pushed for…

🚫 THEY DO NOT RUN WITH THE LAND IN PERPETUITY

→ The property can be sold
→ The conditions can disappear
→ The use can change

❗ What is promised today is NOT guaranteed tomorrow

⚖️ WHAT’S AT STAKE FOR THE ENTIRE TERRITORY:

If this stands, it becomes precedent:

→ Precedent for bypassing the Comprehensive Plan
→ Precedent for inconsistent zoning decisions
→ Precedent that affects EVERY community in the Territory

📣 AND NOW, IT MOVES TO THE GOVERNOR:

In 2022, he emphasized the importance of listening to DPNR and respecting the Comprehensive Plan.

❓ Will those words still hold true today?

⚖️ HE CAN:

✔️ VETO this bill
✔️ Send it back to the Legislature
✔️ Require DPNR’s recommendations be incorporated
✔️ Ensure safeguards are enforceable IN PERPETUITY

📢 THIS IS NO LONGER ABOUT ONE PARCEL OF LAND.
This is about trust, consistency, and the future of planning in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

🎥 Watch the video. This moment matters.

18/03/2026

🚨 "WE GOT YOU" 🚨

After listening to today’s Senate discussion, here’s what we’re hearing:

👏 Commending the applicant’s persistence…
👉 WE GOT YOU

🤝 Pushing a “compromise” to R-3 with safeguards…
👉 WE GOT YOU

But where are the real questions?

❓ The property was purchased as R-1
❓ DPNR already provided a path forward
❓ Housing can be built RIGHT NOW — no rezoning needed

➡️ Through Planned Area Development (PAD)

So why change the rules?
Why make special accommodations?
Why ignore the recommended path?

📍 If PAD is working in St. Thomas…
why not here?

We support housing.
We support responsible development.

But we also expect:
✔️ Consistency
✔️ Fairness
✔️ Adherence to existing zoning rules and policy

💡 The solution already exists.
No rezoning required.

18/03/2026

DPNR HAS BEEN A GOOD STEWARD OF THE USVI ✅

They’ve highlighted gaps in the Beeston Hill rezoning request, protected our Comprehensive Plan, and reminded us that housing can move forward without rezoning.

⚠️ Key concerns from DPNR:
• Community opposition
• Existing pathways to develop without rezoning
• Conflicts with long-term planning
• Risk of opening the door to extensive commercial uses

We hope the 36TH U.S. Virgin Islands Legislature will show the same stewardship—protect our neighborhoods, follow the Comp Plan, and do the right thing. Senator Milton E. Potter Senator Kenneth "Kenny" Gittens

ST. CROIX — A proposed rezoning in Estate Beeston Hill took center stage Monday as lawmakers weighed a plan that supporters say could add needed housing on St. Croix, but

18/03/2026

🚨 KEY POINTS FROM SENATOR DEGRAFF 🚨

❌ If it isn’t written into the bill — DON’T VOTE FOR IT
❌ Applicant says housing = 3–4 acres
➡️ Then WHY rezone all 15.9 acres?

✅ Property owners CAN build — within current zoning
✅ Planned Area Development (PAD) = viable path (with Legislative approval)
✅ PAD already approved & used successfully in St. Thomas

❓ So ask yourself:
Why push to rezone ALL 15.9 acres?
Why refuse to use DPNR’s recommended development pathways?

🚩 Something doesn’t add up.

18/03/2026

This isn’t economic development—it’s economic elitism.

Buying R-1 land and spending years on consultants to change the zoning, instead of building housing under the existing rules, takes residential land away from real housing opportunities for Virgin Islanders.

Senator Milton E. Potter Senator Kenneth "Kenny" Gittens Senator-At-Large Angel Bolques Jr.

A rezoning request for land in Estate Beeston Hill on St. Croix is now in the hands of lawmakers, wh...

18/03/2026

🚨 Why rezone at all if the housing can be built without it? 🚨

The Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) has now twice recommended DENIAL of the Beeston Hill rezoning—and their reasoning matters:

➡️ The proposed 24-unit housing project can already be built under existing law
➡️ No rezoning is needed to move forward
➡️ Tools like subdivision, group dwelling permits, and Planned Area Development (PAD) are already available
➡️ Rezoning would permanently change nearly 16 acres—far beyond what’s needed

DPNR made it clear: this request does not align with the Comprehensive Land & Water Use Plan, which was designed to prevent exactly this kind of spot zoning.

This is NOT a housing vs. no housing issue.
We can support housing without opening the door to unnecessary rezoning.

❗️Rezoning to R-3 is not a real compromise—it still expands allowable uses and changes the character of the area beyond what is needed to build the project.

This is a territory-wide issue about protecting our zoning laws, our communities, and the integrity of the Plan we just adopted.

📢 Tell lawmakers:
Build the housing — without unnecessary rezoning.

Virgin Islands lawmakers are divided over a proposal to rezone nearly 16 acres on St. Croix, with some senators rejecting the measure unless it is limited strictly to housing and others backing a compromise that would allow development with added safeguards.

Read now:

https://stthomassource.com/content/2026/03/17/senators-clash-over-beeston-hill-rezoning/

18/03/2026

Thank you Senator Alma Francis Heyligerfor continuing to stand firm on this issue. This is bigger than one parcel — it’s about protecting the integrity of zoning laws across the entire Territory. Ignoring DPNR’s recommendations sets a dangerous precedent we can’t afford. All Senators should vote NO on the rezoning of 6A Beeston Hill and uphold the rules that safeguard our communities.