| (please write about any additional personal concerns below): |
| You are changing the type of people who will be comiong to Coral Bay. People like my entire family who have moved to vacations in the Coral Bay area to get away from exactly what you are possibly allowing to happen. I think the big boat people have plenty of areas that have been over developed to dock their big boats. Leave this one are to the rest of us! |
| Yes, this was a form letter provided to me because I earlier filled out a form opposing this development ,but the fact that I took the quick route and utilized this form should not be taken as an indicator that I am any less passionate about the issue. I very much want to see Coral Bay remain as much as possible the way it was when I first visited approximately 8 years ago.I currently have every intention of coming back to St.John and Coral Bay and count on finding it much as I left it. I thought Lawrence Rockefeller had insured that circumstance but apparently that is not the case.
It is a clear case of maintaining the restrictive development policies because once the gate is open there will be no turning back. Steve Palm sbpalm@cox.net Council Bluffs, Iowa |
| We’ve been coming to St. John for 14 years now…the monstrosity building on Cruz Bay totally took the wonderful, lush island we loved to bring many family members and friends (and spend a great deal of $$ while we’re there to help support the local businesses) to, into a gigantic eye sore!…I truly do NOT want that happening on Coral Bay. For all the reasons checked above, along with our enjoyment of Coral Bay, PLEASE DO NOT BUILD and ruin this side of the Island. Thank You ~ Dawn Janssen |
| We visited St. John for our family vacations 16 times. One of the main reasons why we are keep coming to STJ is National Park and lack of things like mega marinas, etc. In case we would want to be closer to “civilization”, looking at mega yachts we would go to the other place. Let’s keep St. John as it is. Building huge maria in Coral Bay in my view would only heart environment, eco-tourism based economy and most importantly beautiful piece of nature that we have to preserve for our kids and grandchildren to enjoy in a future |
| We visit this area as often as we can. We are planning to sail here in fall 2016 and hope that it is the same as it has been in the past. A mega marina does not have a place in Coral Bay it would ruin everything that it stands for. Thank You John & Bonnie Swift |
| We visit St John and stay in the Coral Bay area one month each year. We love snorkeling from shore in many places. Please see our book, “Snorkel St. John”, on Amazon. We have lots of underwater photography which shows what a wonderful, natural environment this is. Pay close attention to the section on snorkeling the mangroves in Hurricane Hole. The fish come here to raise their young, and any damage to Coral Bay will impact the underwater wildlife radically. Please take whatever steps are possible to stop this development, or force it to be abbreviated in some manner. |
| We visit Coral Bay several times a year. Please preserve this area. |
| We have been traveling to St. John and the carribean islands for over 20 years. The United States has such a jewel in the protecimted beaches and land in St. John. I urge you to consider the detrimental impact that this large marina could have for the environment. Over the years we have witnessed the changes in the coral and reefs. In the last few years we have seen some of the reefs start to rebound. Please consider the negative effects listed above will have lasting or permanent injury to the beautiful, unspoiled island of St. John. |
| We come to St John every year because it is so beautiful and pristine. This letter perfectly sums up our feelings about the proposed marina, and we are grateful to all who have invested so much time and effort in opposing it. Please listen. Thank you. |
| We cannot make another Coral Bay. Please choose wisely. |
| This would ruin one of the most beautiful views on the island. As someone that has been coming to St. John for 30 years I can’t think of something more detrimental than this proposed project. Please don’t succumb to corporate money and destroy the peace and beauty of Coral Bay. |
| This project is not in line with what tourists on St John seek when they come here, particularly to Coral Bay. People come to St John because it one of the very few places where one can find unspoiled island beauty, tranquility, and splendour. There are already mega yacht marinas in St Thomas( Yacht Haven Grande) and Tortola( Nanny Cay). Their is just not enough business in the mega yacht industry to warrant the addition of yet ANOTHER marina on this scale. Yacht Have in St Thomas is empty much of the year, with tons of vacant retail spaces, and that is growing every day. Adding another marina of this type when it is not needed or wanted would be a mistake. The result would be a monstrosity that is largely vacant, all at the cost of the beautiful eco system that is Coral Bay. The proposed location(windward area of the bay) illustrates that the developer has NO real knowledge. Furthermore, the website that summers end recently launched is shamelessly inaccurate. The say that the community of st John enthusiastically supports this project. How awful, as EVERYONE KNOWS THAT NO ONE WANTS THIS OR SUPPORTS THIS. The only people who want it are the developers who are seeking financial gain. They just want to get it built. I sincerely hope that my words resonate here with someone who can see what a bad idea and how damaging a marina of this scale would really be. |
| This project is in my opinion way over the top in size and not a fit for St. John. St. John is a lovely place that could probably benefit from a small locally owned marina in coral bay but NOT this huge project. |
| This must be stopped!!! Too many irreplaceable natural resources are at risk with a project of this scale. Not to mention the general absurdity of the massive marina in such a small bay. Please shut this project down once and for all. |
| This marina would degrade all that St. John is known for. Why ruin an island that is nearly perfect? Just because people have money and don’t care about the ecosystem doesn’t mean you need to follow their lead. Help us save our island and prestine waters. |
| This marina is totally unsuitable for the location proposed. The damage done to a very unique aquatic envirnment would be irresponsible and irreversible for the benefit of a privileged few. This can not happen. |
| This is the beginning of the end for one of the few places that still have natural beauty and protected space. Your conscience should outweigh your pocketbook. |
| This is just all about how much money a corporation can make not about how it could better beautiful St John. We need to protect our resourcs and marine and plant life of St John. Leave our beautiful island alone. Marianne Mammino |
| This is just a bad idea. |
| This is a rare beautiful place in an ever growing world, that needs to be preserved as it has been all these years. If we continue to build up these areas eventually they will no longer exist along with their habitats. As it exists today Coral Bay is a magical place in paradise. The constructions of this marina would destroy that. |
| This area is a gem for St John. It will likely destroy the special gift God has provided for many to enjoy. Must progress ruin this natural Eden! |
| This will only hurt coral bay not help in ANY way. Coral bay is not St Thomas nor do we want it to be. Please do not allow this to happen |
| There are few places in the world like this and it is why we return year after year…also as a veteran Realty professional in the luxury market in US. I HUGELY caution any development activity like this in an economy that – despite a few hot spots in the US – is not solid. I work with many builders and all are seeing softness plus rising costs – not a good combination. St Johns has already seen such a boondoggle of a development above Sloop Jones home area.(I can’t recall name but I am sure you know of this huge mostly undeveloped project) .We stayed in a lovely rental house there that was basically by itself amidst huge road and drainage insfrastructure built for millions to basically a disastrous non-development end, areas of which have been abandoned completely. ANYONE considering changes like proposed to Coral Bay NEEDS to tour that near abandoned development which changed the scape over on that side and to no end and finaincila disaster for many.Changing Coral Bay to any degree is a bad idea by ay measure – but even more so when you consider the real risk of no one coming and others who love the place for what is stopping coming as well. Please do not be fooled by overly-optimistic sales presentations – numbers can be worked to look good to an optimistic mind, but real numbers again real risks should be very carefully weighed for the good of St John’s truly. |
| The Summers End Group and their proposed moorings would devastate Coral Bay. |
| The size of this project would require additional changes to the infrastructure to support the increased traffic on the island further impacting quality of life, not to mention the protected natural resources |
| The proposed marina would completely change the nature, feel and community of Coral Bay and forever change the tourism that the area currently services. As I’m sure you’re well aware, these types of marinas cater to the very rich. They are exclusive properties and end up restricting access to natural resources for the general public. Over time, with a marina of this size and scope, the “regular” folks and families who visit or call Coral Bay their home will be pushed out. That’s quite sad. |
| The potential for economic and cultural collapse of locals who may not be able to afford the inevitable land tax increase. |
| The potential for economic and cultural collapse of locals who may not be able to afford the inevitable land tax increase. |
| The island of St. John is too beautiful to ruin it with the proposed marina. This island is a National Park, loved by all who visit!! Please, please, please….no marina on this beautiful island!!!!! |
| The impact to the environment, the rich history and the St Jonians way of life will be forever changed if this marina comes to be…..I cannot imagine why any one who has ever been in the area could ever consider leaving such a big foot print. The damage would irreversable. |
| The focus should be on preserving natural environments not harming them. |
| The first hurricane to come that way will totally wreck this marina and leave a huge problem to clean up if it ever does. |
| The existence of a mega-marina will completely transform the properties that make St John, St John. There are already lots of places for the super rich to house their super huge boats, but not many pristine and natural island locations left for those of us who enjoy that type of experience. The people of St John have spoken against this development. The regular tourists have too. Please do not allow this piece of paradise to be changed into just another Caribbean island.Keep St John special and unique. |
| The environmental impact of the proposed marina will destroy the surrounding waters which have been designated an “Aquatic Resource of National Importance (ARNI)”. I have snorkeled the waters of Coral Bay and attest to their beauty and uniqueness. They are a national treasure on par with Yellowstone and must be preserved for all to enjoy. Building a large marina in the the middle of an ARNI is like building a coal power plant in the middle of Yellowstone. The impact of the marina will destroy it. Please do not approve the construction of a large marina in Coral Bay. |
| The economics of building a mega yacht marina in Coral Bay does not make sense. Yacht Haven Grand on St. Thomas is under utilized and has declared bankruptcy several times because expenses exceeded revenue. |
| The destruction of this bay is not in the interest of the many in terms of the people and the environment. The island was given by Rockafeller as a park but over the years the island has been chipped away, homes allowed to be built on Cinnimone Bay, and now you want to commercialize this bay for so few. Put a tiny new dock facility in for the mooring and visiting boats maybe new shower and bathroom area like in the parks, but I do not want to see Yahts and cabin cruziers like a giant whit carpet when I reach the top of Bordow mountain and want to take a picture of the bay I honestly will move on to the British Islands and give them my money instead. St Thomas has the Yaht club and look at Red-Hook do you want this bay to look like that. The island was given to be for the environment. |
| The damage to wild life should be enough to stop this. |
| The charm of Coral Bay and the island of St John, and therefore the economy that sustains it, relies on the unique “feeling” that visitors get while on island. It is an oasis from all the hub bub. A marina of this sort would not only impact the environment but also take away that special feeling. St John is not like any other island in the Caribbean. It is a gem. Why harm an economy that already sustains itself and will continue to sustain itself for the simple financial gain of only a fingerful of people. |
| The beauty of this island is its natural, wild state and its protection as a natural park. Coral Bay has remained more naturalistic and peaceful than Cruz Bay. Please let it remain this way. |
| The beauty and quaintness of natural Coral Bay will be lost forever. Why develop one of the last gems on our Earth? Keep it natural so our grandchildren have the opportunity to get a glimpse of what the Earth used to look like. |
| The beauty and natural resources of this island which have brought my family and me back to St. John every year for 10 years would be vastly destroyed by this massive development. This type and scale of project is ill-suited for an island whose appeal is the untouched and unspoiled parkland and underwater beauty. We’ve watched the coral struggle and the fish decrease in number at the few beaches on St. John where massive day traffic from the cruise ships have inundated these areas. A vast construction and development of this scale, and subsequent ongoing boat traffic, would utterly destroy the underwater ecology at Coral Bay as well as the surrounding small bays currently filled with healthy coral reefs and an abundance of marine life. |
| Thank you for considering my request. |
| St. John, especially the undeveloped east side, is a National Treasure. Please do not allow this mega-project to go forward. This will destroy everything everyone loves about this tiny island paradise. |
| St. John offers tropical beauty that is relatively untouched. Compare it to its overdeveloped neighbor, St. Thomas, and it is plain to see that St. John’s shoreline and its coves and bays are treasures that cannot easily be reclaimed once lost. This development is unnecessary and destructive. |
| St. John is the only island of its kind. Why spoil such a beautiful and special place? |
| St. John is a beautiful natural island. While Cruz Bay has just enough development, Coral Bay’s unspoiled natural habitat and the National Park are the reasons we all come to this wonderful place—because it is NOT developed like the other islands– this is what makes it so special. The natural wildlife and sea life will be destroyed and forever changed with over development.Please please please do not ruin such a wonderful place.. We DO NOT WANT or NEED a mega yacht on ST. John– LEAVE IT ALONE. |
| St. John is a beautiful natural area that should not be in any way changed or developed. The large scale construction and large boats will damage the eco system.It should preserved as close to possible as it is now. A slightly larger dock is the only addition that might be acceptable.
I strongly disagree with a mage marina for yachts. |
| St. John deserves to remain as undeveloped as possible keeping it pristine as envisioned by Teddy Roosevelt in creating our most unique national park. |
| St John is unique in being kept natrusl and parklike and it is important for the waters to be kept that way too. Fem my perspective as an American visitor, there are already so many boats in bays of St John that the naturalness is comromised; this development would result in way overdevelipment of the bays. |
| St John is known to my family and friends as one of the LAST places on earth accessible to us that is not terribly industrialized. To build what is being proposed will increase the destruction of what is desired of, its pristine waters and sea life. If we continue to build structures such as these what we love and enjoy will be gone. |
| Quite simply, this will negatively impact tourism and the environment. I am strongly opposed.Dr. Karen McGarry |
| Please! |
| Please take time to reconsider this decision. |
| Please stop commercializing all of God’s beauty |
| Please make the right decision here in St. John. Far too often big money wins out over the common people who enjoy the wonderful National Park that is St John. The effects on the marine life and the environment are too large to ignore. Please save Coral Bay so my grandchildren and future generations can continue to enjoy its natural beauty and all it has to offer |
| Please let us keep this unspoiled bit of paradise as it is. St Thomas has lots of areas for the mega yachts to anchor. |
| Please keep this piece of paradise unchanged. |
| Please don’t destroy our island and National Parks. This is one of my most treasured places and would be ruined by this marina. The noise from construction would disrupt this quiet bay and detrimentally harm the ocean life. You would essentially be destroying one of the main reasons tourists come to the island – peace, quiet, and beautiful snorkeling. |
| Please do not ruin the natural beauty of Coral bay. There are little places left that are peaceful and special- Coral Bay is one of those places. This island needs to be left as natural as possible as there is nothing else like it on earth. Please do not adhere to greed and personal gain and do what’s right for the community, environment and human kind in general. |
| Please consider the consequences of building this mega marina. Time has shown the overall adverse aspects of the destruction of our pristine waters. Coral Bay is one of the few remaining pristine waters under U.S. jurisdiction. For the sake of our environment please do not allow this to happen. Thanking you in advance for your consideration in this matter. Once the damage is done we do not have any options to rectify the negative impact it will create.Sincerely,
Charlene |
| Please allow Coral Bay to remain pristine. There is no turning back the clock to regain priceless lost privacy and marine life if this new marina is allowed. The damage caused is permanent. Thank you for your consideration. |
| Overdevelopment is a threat throughout the Caribbean. Many natural treasures have already been lost in the pursuit of short-term economic gain. St. John and Coral Bay in particular have escaped the commercialization that has threatened the environment and local culture of the islands, and preventing this overgrown project is crucial to the survival of what makes St. John unique. |
| Our family was devastated to hear of the plans to create St Johns Marina in Coral Bay. We have visited the island often and upon a recent trip to Coral Bay realized what a rare gift the quietude and seascapes (above and below) are to all that live and visit the area. Please, please, please, make a mindful decision for preserving this great peaceful, gorgeous, untouched area of the Virgin Islands.Thank you for making good choices,
Carmela Coyle and family of four |
| One of the reasons why we continue to choose St.John as our home away from home is because it doesn’t house a yacht or cruise ship dock. Rockefeller did an incredible thing by preserving this land and sea. Please don’t undo years and years of natural beauty with one dock approval. Leave it over on St. Thomas, it’s close enough!!! |
| One of the main reason I travel to St John is the visit Coral Bay and swim in the Bay and other areas. I want to be able to pass this on to my kids one day when they get older. Please do not allow such a disaster to take place.Do what is right!
Thank you! Robert |
| Not opposed to some development but this project is way out of proportion and damaging both to the aquatic environment as well as the surrounding areas. Does greed and profit always win out?Ed Pieper
Seagrapes Hill home owner 8-24 Emmaus |
| My wife and I have relished our annual vacations to Coral Bay for a number of years. The peace and tranquility of St. John’s “quiet side” is unique in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Needless to say, if this preposterous proposal goes through we will no longer visit St. John!! |
| My wife and I have been going on vacation to St John, USVI for years. We actually prefer to go to East End to get away from the traffic at Cruz Bay. It’s nice to be able to travel to a US territory that is still remote enough to visitors, yet not host the “cruise ship crowds”. We will never stay on St Croix or St Thomas simply because of the sheer amount of people that go there and the commercialization that is has been subjected to.When we go on vacation, we want to go somewhere that is AWAY from the hustle and bustle of the world (major ports, airports, etc). My wife and I have already discussed that we would prefer to keep our money in a US Territory if we go on vacation, but if the port gets put in and the amount of people increases rapidly due to this, we will probably be forced to look somewhere else. |
| My parents have taken my sister and I to their favorite place in the whole world, Coral Bay, St.John, for years. Coral Bay has become my favorite place in the whole world too. It would be a shame if this permit is approved, it would change the dynamic of the town entirely, it would no longer be the quaint little town that I and thousands of people love. Please don’t change my happy place. |
| My husband and I love the island of St. John because it is mainly national Park and pristine undeveloped land. When I heard about the proposed Marina and development in Coral Bay I was truly saddened by the prospect of the transformation of a place that I love so much. We discovered St. John for the first time in 2009 for a week vacation and loved it so much we booked our return weeks vacation for 2010 when we got back to Michigan. We then returned twice in 2011 once in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Each of our seven weeklong vacations, we have stayed in a vacation rental in the Coral Bay vicinity. We chose coral Bay because we like the quiet peaceful atmosphere and natural beauty. I think the idea of a marina in coral Bay is a terrible idea for the environment it will truly change Coral Bay and St John forever. When I heard there would also be shopping and lodging development I sure I was really upset about it and do not think it makes sense at all. There is plenty of shopping on Saint Thomas and many of those shops are already struggling. There are also marinas on St. Thomas and in the BVI. People come to St. John for its natural beauty and to get away from it all. The reason why we have made seven trips from Michigan to St. John since 2009 is because we liked the fact that it was less developed than neighboring islands. If this Marina and development go through we will stop vacationing on St. John and try to find an island that is similar to what St. John was before this development. We want St. John to stay as underdeveloped as possible. Please stop this ridiculous marina project before it destroys the ecosystem of coral Bay. Thank you, |
| My husband and I have been to St. john every year since 1990. Our 15 year old son has discovered so many things on the island that he might not get to with his own children if this is to be built. We have also shared St. John with so many friends who are also impressed and some bought lifetime time shares. I also STRONGLY believe this is not what true St. Johnians want nor would Rockefeller himself. St. John stands to lose to much of it’s precious qualities. It’s meant to be enjoyed, explored, PROTECTED, and discover it’s beauty in entirity not just the 2 thirds of the national park area. |
| My great grandparents came to the islands in the 1950s. My family has a long history of being on St. Thomas and were property owners on St. John. It is a shame what Summer’s Edge is trying to do to St. John. Coral Bay is NOT a SHOPPING DESTINATION. The majority of tourists and transplant residents come for peace and tranquility. If they wanted action..they would be on STT. Coral Bay does not need to look like Yacht Haven Grande/St. Thomas!!! Have you seen how well that has fared? The restaurants alone have flipped a couple of times. The prices are too high for locals…and the wealthy already have access to that kind of shopping..so why would they think they would get something special in St. Thomas.,.and then St. John? Waste of a beautiful space for mega marina and shopping. People do not come to St. John for shopping!!! If any development is to be there..should be more like Mongoose Junction mixed with Concordia,..open aired..light on the land and light interference with the bay and sealife inhabitants. These moronic GREEDY developers are rapists intruding on our land without any regard to the local way of life. Disgusting. They are trying to pull the wool over a sleepy island’s eyes all for profit and not preservation. Have you seen a peaceful beach on St. Thomas? Nope…all gobbled up by hotels..with the exception of a few. St. John does not need to be another St. Thomas. Thank you! |
| My family has been coming to ST Johns since 1979. It is paradise because it hasn’t been spoiled by man. Please leave this unspoiled piece of St John. My children made sure their mates before they married love this island or it just wouldn’t work. That is saying a heck of a lot . They ALL vacation in St John!!! Please save this precious area. LK |
| My daughter is a Sir Keith Murdoch fellow at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia studying epigenetics and marine ecology specifically to help save the Virgin Islands ecology. This project would irreversibly harm Coral Bay. |
| Like many visitors to St. John, I choose to stay on the Coral Bay side because of its small, laid back and quiet atmosphere. The proposed mega marina will change that atmosphere dramatically, for the worse. I will no longer visit the island if this is built.People who value St. John love it for the beautiful beaches and National Park land. We are trying to avoid an area that’s completely built up along the water front, like stretches of Turks and Caicos, Cancun, and many other destinations that aren’t protected by a National Park.
We also love St. John for the wonderful snorkeling, which will be dreadfully impacted by construction of a mega marina. PLEASE don’t allow this construction to take place! |
| Leave St. John alone!!! |
| Laurence Rockefeller was a leading and influential figure for three decades in the American conservation movement. He took the lead, with JHPI, to safeguard those qualities for the enjoyment of the people in the tradition of both his father and the National Park Service. His donation of the land to the Federal Government was to maintain these pristine waters and the beauty of the island.This construction will alter the landscape and have an adverse impact on the environment. |
| I’ve visited St. John twice on two research trips studying coral reefs. The proposed mega marina would destroy Coral Bay and halt these trips that have been going on for decades. I urge you to stop this horrific and destructive project for the sake of all people and wildlife that depend on the protection provided by the national park. |
| It’s sad that such a project would even be considered for St John and Coral Bay. Once begun it won’t stop and this jewel in the USVI will never be the same. I doubt Mr Rockafeller had anything like this in mind when he created the national park on St John. |
| It is rare to find such a delightful and relatively unspoiled spot in such a desirable location. Please allow Coral Bay to remain as it is – not overwhelmed by a mega-marina. Let those big boats go somewhere else. Thank you. |
| It is my assessment that the Summers End Group have a complete lack of morals and ethics, completely ignoring the existing culture and environment, lack any knowledge of sustainable development, and are solely concerned with the bottom line profit potential. |
| In addition to what has been stated above I completely agree that this marina should not be built. I have been a resident to the beautiful island of St. John as well as my family. It would change the island completely and not in a good way. Why destroy something so unique that already attracts so many people? The gorgeous national park that covers 3/4 of the island, the crystal clear water that supports amazing sea life and a healthy reef to snorkel over. Why destroy it with pollution and overcrowding? Just For a quick dollar? It’s not worth destroying this islands uniqueness and lifestyle that already attracts so many people. All in all I am completely against this proposal as I’m sure so many others are as well! |
| In addition to the remarks above, you have to consider the impact the marina would have on the very limited resources, both natural and not, that are available in Coral Bay. Fresh water is at a premium during normal years but it is especially dear when the rains don’t fall, as was seen this year. Trash and garbage disposal is often difficult and already impacts the area negatively. The roads leading to and from Coral Bay are interesting to maneuver on a good day without tons of traffic. Any additional volume will stretch the infrastructure of the area beyond capacity. These are the impacts that the land will feel. The waters of Coral Bay itself, which is the home to so much life and is the life blood of the residents and visitors alike, will be changed and/or destroyed, if not forever, for decades to come.Look, I am far from a bleeding heart who looks for tree-hugging causes to attach my name to. I am a conservationist in the fact that I hunt and fish and I enjoy the beauty that nature provides to us. I support gas and oil exploration in certain areas of our country that will benefit millions of people if successful even if it is unpopular. As a believer in capitalism, I feel that the owner of land can do anything that owner wants with that land. In this case, we all own Coral Bay. It belongs us. It belongs to the residents and the visitors alike. It is not something to be toyed with for the benefit of investors and greedy local politicians. |
| I visit ST. John nearly every year and stay just above coral bay. I would simply hate to see the area impacted in such unimaginable way. I hope that coral bay will be able to remain independent of major organizations and a community of local business owners that care about the environment and the island and it’s residents. |
| I vacation in Coral Bay because it is not developed. The bay is perfect the way it is. The natural environment and the serene nature of this side of the island need to be protected. |
| I truly feel that this project will do irreversible damage to the marine life in Coral Bay. My family has been going to St John for years, and we ask that you stop this project from happening so future generations can enjoy the untouched beauty that is Coral Bay. |
| I travel to Coral Bay in St. John annually and cannot believe that building a mega yacht marina is even an option. The pristine waters and quiet, relaxed atmosphere is one of the main reasons we travel here. By building this monstrosity, you would ruin all of this. Not only would the overall economy suffer from the construction, noise and disruption but most importantly, you would be harming the naturally protected animals and views we look forward to seeing each and every year. I wholeheartedly feel this is an awful project. |
| I totally had the best time visiting St. John…beautiful place…it would be a shame to disrupt the The Virgin Islands National Park, and the Coral Reef National MonumentLeave what God Made…go somewhere else. Thank you. Jerri….GOD BLESS,,,♥╪♥… |
| I love this bay and hope to see it stay like it is so someday my girls can experience it the same way I have. |
| I lived on St.John from the age of 3 months to 13 years old. What makes this island so special is how untouched it is compared to some other Caribbean islands, such as St.Thomas its neighboring island. Its uncommercialized and full of life on land and in the beautiful waters. This proposed mega marina will change this island, and not for the better. One day I hope to bring my kids that I hope to have to my home and building this is going change St.John into an island I won’t be able to recognize. Please don’t let this happen, it seems this would only help a few who all they can see is the money that could be revenued from this. While in reality it’s not in the best interest of a whole community that was built upon small businesses working together. |
| I have snorkeled and sailed coral bay. So many Large boats would be distructive to the fragile marine area. I look forward to returning to the area once a year. If you allow this new marina I will have to find somewhere else to go because most of the marine life and plants will die. It will never be the same. |
| I have lived and worked in Coral Bay for several years. I was here for hurricane Marilyn in September of 1995.It devastated Coral Bay Harbor and the aftermath was horrendous. It took years to get numerous sailboats, and other vessels,large and small,out of the mangroves. Most were completely destroyed.One could only wonder the devastation with this proposal. |
| I have family living on Coral Bay and have visited to realize this are is one of the most beautiful unspoiled areas…I am planning a visit with my grand children and extended family.. I would be very sad to take them to a commercialized area…. We have ruined many natural places on this planet…let’s hold onto this rare small beautiful place…. |
| I have been visiting the US VI since the 1970s and lived and worked here in the 1980s. Currently, I am a part year resident and with each trip back to the VI one of the first things I do is to see St. John. Not the overbuilt Cruz Bay, Great Cruz Bay, and Chocolate Hole area, but the unspoiled Virgin Islands National Park and East End Coral Bay. These are what the VI should be and what I remember from my first trip in the 1970s. Coral Bay is small and caters to the Eco-tour population. The Summer End marina would kill this business and many of the sea creatures and coral reefs along the East Ens of St. John. The British Island of Tortola is only a few nautical miles away and Road Town has a large marina, which should be able to accommodate any vessel that would want to dock at Coral Bay.My late husband and I owned land at Chocolate Hole and I sold this about ten years as the Westin hotel development was not who we wanted for a neighbor. That and the additional building on the west side of St. John has changed the face of this beautiful island. Yes, business has grown but at what cost for future generations. Once the tourists destroy the coral reefs, and they move on to other islands what is left for us who truly love the Virgin Islands. Please leave what little is left on St. John in its current state. Future generations deserve this. |
| I have been visiting and traveling through this area since 1959 and this particular bay is one of the select few that I desire to return to again and again for it’s unspoiled splendor. Please do not let money over run the natural beauty or there will soon be nothing left to enjoy and visit. |
| I have been visited St. John and Coral Bay more than 13 times in the last 20 years. One of the main attractions of St. John in general and Coral Bay in particular is the absence of dense, commercial development that exists on other islands such as St. Thomas. Coral Bay is a special place due to the tranquility that exists from the absence of over-development. The proposed marina will forever change this part of the island. Once done it can never be undone and this beautiful, pristine part of the world will be gone forever. I write this letter not as someone who is anti-development but rather I am pro-Coral Bay and pro-preserving a treasured part of the world that I want my kids and grandkids to be able to enjoy just as I have been able to. |
| I first came to St.john and Coral Bay by way of Alaska, and truely connected in a unique way. The natural world we live in has fewer and fewer unspoiled land to enjoy and appreciate. I am not one who is against the ideas of responsible development, however i believe that what the Summers End Group is proposing is not only ill concieved but an irresponsible fit for Coral Bay and the St. john community. This proposal benefits few while taking away something from a community that clearly wants to keep its current identity in tact for the greater good. |
| I feel like this project would destroy one of the most beautiful views and bays in the USVI. Coral Bay is such an escape from busy and developed Cruz Bay. The whole character of that side of the Island would change. It is just pure greed and careless disregard on the part of these developers to put their own interests about the local populations, the visitors, and the citizens of the greater US and its territories, to whom these lands ultimately belong. |
| I cannot see any benefit to the local population of St. John (or even the US Virgin Islands as a whole) in the construction of this mega-yacht marina.1. Coral Bay and its environs AS THEY EXIST NOW, provide a buffer to storms moving across St. John. Changes to the bay shoreline that would be required by a mega marina would destroy the natural dissipation of storm energy. Dredging the bay to accommodate mega yachts is likely to cause significant changes in water movements, including storm surges, in Coral Bay.
2. Like so many large development projects, it is intended to attract a clientel from outside the population that is already living and vacationing in the Virgin Islands. The infrastructure of St. John is already overstressed by the large vacationing population. Where will the fresh water come from and where will the waste water and trash go? 3. Development in Coral Bay will not stop with the mega yacht marina. The owners and guests of mega yachts will demand more “upscale” restaurants, shopping, entertainment than already exists in Coral Bay. The building of these new facilities will mean tearing down existing businesses along the Coral Bay waterfront. |
| I bring our family to St. John for just what it is, a national park and a relaxed atmosphere. I do not believe a mega yacht marina is what most people want, and it would certainly not contribute to promoting the natural atmosphere that St. John is known for. |
| I bought land in Coral Bay nearly 20 years ago because I felt it would be protected from mega-marinas like the one that is being proposed. The beautiful habitat and wildlife are much too scarce and precious for commercial development projects such as this to take priority over them. |
| I believe this size project is more appropriately suited to St. Thomas based on existing infrastructure and amenities, and could benefit the St. Thomas area economically. Access to St. John from enhanced ferry service could accommodate increased tourism to the National Park with less disturbance of protected and sensitive marine areas. |
| I am very concerned for the environmental impact of this project. Furthermore, it would disrupt the economy of the island; the new marina would not be friendly to current businesses and residents as they would get priced out. Coral Bay is a treasure of the USVI- it is quiet, peaceful, and a haven for people and wildlife. |
| I am not even sure why this is being revisited. I don’t believe that a group throwing more money at this proposal will change the facts of the adverse environmental impact that was determined last time they proposed it. I believe that the National parks, EPA and national government officials should watch this process and hold it to a very high standard. Richard Rockrohr US citizen |
| I am a professional degreed Geologist. My work requires me to understand the depositional environments of both clastic and carbonate rocks and the coastal settings associated with them. A critical part of understanding these environments involves understanding the coastal topography, erosional rates, climate, benthic fauna and flora, etc. My wife and I have been vacationing continuously in Coral Bay (renting a home) and are very familiar with the physiographic, economic, and cultural/social environment we know as greater Coral Bay, and in particular the harbor. I am also familiar with the marginal economics of several of the larger marinas on St. John by visiting with many of the charter captains out of Cruz Bay. The proposed mega-yacht marina is unequivocally at odds with the 1) natural, small, and relatively shallow Coral Bay harbor, 2) the beauty, lifestyle and economy of the east end of St John, and perhaps most importantly 3) the entire concept of maintaining over 2/3rds of St John as a National Park!! Approving and allowing this marina to proceed would be a monumental and irrevocable mistake. Please deny Summers End Group’s request.Thank you.
Bob Von Rhee, MS Geology, Univ of Illinois 1977 |
| I also propose that the Coral Bay harbor should be off limits to people living aboard their vessels there. |
| How can you even consider ruining this area with a project if this magnitude? Shame on anyone who supports this in the name if money and greed. There should be a goal if protecting this island and the waters that surround it instead of plans to destroy it and the habitat that struggles to survive here. Summers end should be renamed to “Habitats’ END” if it is allowed to proceed on this beautiful island.Karen and Rocky Hudson
Elmwood, Illinois USA |
| Having been to St. John twice, I was impressed at the way the National Park Service has preserved this special place. St. John does not need another marina, especially one of this size. It will have negative impacts on the island, making it more like St. Thomas. Please let St. John be kept in its natural state! |
| for all these reasons and i’m sure many more this is a project based on exploiting our natural resources not protecting and developing them in a responsible and ecological way that preserves and enhances our environment |
| Exactly like Mandahl..it will not benefit the VI but only the investors…They said the same thing for Yacht Haven Grande..look at it now..a total white whale..no one stays there…keep the VI pristine its the only true resource we’ve got |
| Enough Already with trying to have the Most, and be the Biggest. Let us save our waters, shores, and peaceful scenery… Stop doing these things just because we know how to … “enough is as good as a feast…” |
| Don’t let greed win. |
| Don’t just think about yourself, think about all the future generations who will be losing one of the most beautiful and pristine places in the world. |
| Destroying so many animals homes just so people have another way to get on to the island is selfish! Please don’t destroy this beautiful quiet island I call my second home! |
| Dear Sir or Madam,The entire coral reef ecosystem in the Caribbean is being killed off bit by bit. If there is a death by a thousand cuts (increased temp, pollution, etc) this marina plan will certainly represent many more cuts. Please do not permit this to go through as planned.
Thank you, Rebecca |
| Coral Bay is unique on St.john and the marina would ruin the specialness of this area. People live and visit here because of its uniqueness so,please,leave it alone. |
| Coral Bay is one of the last pristine water vistas remaining in the U.S. In the tradition of Presidents Roosevelt, Carter, and Clinton, I implore you to allow the beauty of this place to remain forever for future generations to enjoy. |
| Being adjacent to the national park Coral Bay is a treasure that would be ruined by such a large development project. Furthermore, the ecology cannot stand this much development, and the development projects that will follow. There will not be enough fresh water and an adequate plan to address sewage issues. |
| As a sailor I know there are good small environmentally sound marinas out there — but this proposed one in Coral Bay is NOT and the type of boats it would attract are too big and inappropriate. Coral bay should be protected and limited to low impact environmentally sensitive s/v. There are enough mega yacht marinas at other islands – St John Coral Bay should stay as-is to preserve its environmental hiking, snorkeling, sailing, and other activities. That’s why people come there. |
| As a retired 34-year Federal employee I know how hard it is to do what your gut tells you is the right thing to do. It can be difficult to overcome political and corporate pressure. Do what is right for Coral Bay. |
| AND AGAIN. . .NO!! |
Save Coral BayAn Information Resource about the Proposed Summers End Group Marina in Coral Bay, St John |
