Just two days before approving the marina permit, the District Commander of the Army Corps Jacksonville District wrote to Coral Bay residents denying the request for a public hearing, arguing, in essence, that the Corps had already heard all it relevant comments.  Since there has not been an opportunity for public comment since August 2015, and never been an opportunity to comment on the extensive mitigation proposals, this rationale has little basis.

Save Coral Bay circulated a petition requesting a Public Hearing due to the many changes in the Summers End project plans since 2015, including extensive fill in multiple locations in Coral Harbor for creating “mangrove islands.”  In just a single day close to 800 signatures were collected, with another two thousand in the coming week.

Through FOIA we have learned that Summers End intends, once again, to attempt to circumvent the Virgin Islands CZM Act and enter into an agreement with Governor Bryan to place fill on submerged trust lands in order to create acres of mangrove islands.  This activity requires a major CZM water permit approved by the St John CZM Committee and ratification by the Legislature, however SEG appears to be unwilling to follow that statutory procedure.

Attorney Robb Fox, representing Save Coral Bay, wrote to the Corps identifying the lack of requited territorial authority for the Summers End project.  A 2020 Consolidated CZM and Governor’s letter of modification, never approved by the CZM committee, expired in 2021, and not covering the project as proposed to the Corps, means that there is no valid federal consistency.  A 2014 Water Quality Certificate that does not cover any dredge or fill operation likewise prohibits the proposed mangrove island mitigation.  No trust land approvals further complete the lack of territorial authorization.