Minister of VROMI made history by giving trenches to a developer.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of VROMI can say he has made history since being in office just over eight months by overlooking the pieces of advice given by the departments of Infrastructure and the department of New works who both gave negative pieces of advice on the request for a building permit to construct a marina and some apartments in Simpson Bay.
Based on the intended zoning of Simpson Bay the department of VROMI denied Pine Apple Pete’s restaurant a parcel of land that is located next to their business because there is a trench that has to drain excess water from Simpson Bay into the lagoon, at the time Pine Apple Pete’s offered to cover and maintain the trench for proper flow of water, yet they were denied because of government’s intention to zone the area and to keep all government land with trenches intact.
However, the current Minister of VROMI Angel Meyers overlooked government’ intention to zone the area, even though he has a draft of that zoning in his hands. Minister Meyers chose to grant a building permit to SBL management that consists of six parcels of land including the water rights for the developer to construct a marina and some apartments, the building permit number is 154/15.
When contacted on Thursday by SMN News for a comment on his decision the Minister was adamant in the decision to give out government land that has trenches to a developer. These trenches have to be maintained and kept in order in the event of heavy rainfall to prevent flooding. It seems as though the Minister of VROMI who is a former employee of that department did not think it wise to consider the residents of Simpson Bay neither did he think on the cemetery that is also located there. It appears as though Minister Meyers wants to see caskets floating in Simpson Bay in the event of a flooding.
He said the advice given by the department of New Works and the Department of Infrastructure are only advices and that the department of permits sought advice from the department of inspections and the fire department and while they include all the advice when they sent to him with a positive advice to grant the building permit to SBL he signed off because he is not one of those Ministers that will go around and investigate who requested what and deny it. Asked about the trenches that have to be maintained by the government in the event of heavy rainfall that can cause flooding, the Minister felt that SMN News was exaggerating with its questions because the government would always make agreements with the developer to have full access to the trenches.
He further stated that since he took office he signed off on over 10 building permits for SBL management and the one for the Simpson Bay project is no different and he will not act like other Ministers and deny people building permits depending on who asks for it. He also said he will not use the draft zoning for Simpson Bay to deny the permit because it is only a draft and not a policy that is in place.
