Email To: jose.cedeno-maldonado@usace.army.mil
Email Subject: Application SAJ-2004-12518 (SP-JCM) – Coral Bay Marina
Email cc Address: savecoralbay@gmail.com
Subject: Proposed Marina in Coral Bay, St John – Application SAJ-2004-12518 (SP-JCM)
I am writing to express my opposition to the proposed “St John Marina” located in Coral Bay Harbor, St John, US Virgin Islands, a project of “The Summers End Group, LLC.” I believe this project is totally inappropriate in a location with such close proximity to the Virgin Islands National Park and the Coral Reef National Monument. The marina would be detrimental to the environment, detrimental to the local economy, and detrimental to the unique qualities of Coral Bay that make it a preferred vacation destination for thousands of visitors who come to St John to enjoy the national park lands and waters, including me.
As a regular visitor to St John, I choose this destination because St John in general, and Coral Bay in particular, is different from other Caribbean islands. Because there is no airport, or a cruise ship dock, or a marina, this island is visited by people who come here not for the convenience of the transportation infrastructure, but for the well protected natural environment. If a large marina were built in Coral Bay it might make it more convenient for small numbers of people visiting on large yachts, but it would destroy the environment that I, along with so many others, have come to love and value for their homes and vacation destination.
The Virgin Islands National Park, and the Coral Reef National Monument, are priceless and irreplaceable natural resources, and the proposed project would destroy much of their significance through visual, noise and environmental impacts. There are currently ample opportunities for yachts to use the many mooring facilities provided by the national park. Construction of a mega yacht marina in the heart of national park properties and waters threatens these pristine environments and cannot be justified for the convenience or profits of a few people.
I am not opposed to development, but this marina is wrong for Coral Bay for the following reasons:
- It is far too large – Coral Bay could possibly use a better dock for daytime boat access, but not the massive structure proposed by the Summers End Group.
- The construction and operation will undoubtedly hurt the local economy – The Coral Bay economy is based on eco-tourism, and the incessant noise of construction, the coming and going of large motor yachts, the lights and exhaust fumes would drive tourists such as me away from Coral Bay, and away from St John.
- The marina will impact natural resources and protected animals – There are dolphins, turtles, sharks and rare corals in Coral Bay. These would all be driven out by the construction and operation of a mega yacht marina.
- The pristine waters of Hurricane Hole, within the Virgin Islands National Park, are just one bay away from Coral Bay. The potential impacts to this unique and priceless resources cannot possibly be ignored for the sake of development.
- There are other viable options for boaters to visit St John, including the excellent mooring system maintained by the National Park Service.
For these and other reasons I do not believe it would be in the public interest to approve a permit for the “St John Marina” in Coral Bay, St John, as requested by the Summers End Group, LLC. Additionally, I formally request that the Army Corps convene a public hearing on this application because there is significant public interest in the project and there is public controversy over the project’s complex impacts.
Signed – Name, Address