if you could develop mary point or fortsberg...

[overman]

...what would you do?...and yes i know the operative answer is to leave it alone and that's how i'd vote, but it's hypothetical...i stayed at a villa last year above skinny legs staring at fortsberg, and i've sat on francis and marveled at the massive mary point and wondered what if...any thoughts?

[Exit Zero]

It seems that a lot of people like the Grande Bay Condos -- maybe some more of those type developments or a nice Ditleff Point type Gated Community for the Select Few - A food court with lots of stateside restaurant chain eateries is sorely needed - maybe a big Walmart with the groceries department - A water treatment plant so all the big villas with pools,fountains and multi bathrooms, outside showers and bidets can buy cheaper water for their rental customers is drastically needed on STJ and both of those undeveloped locations would be big enough for that facility and the much needed power plant for all the AC being used and an incinerator for the non recyclables.
I am sure there are a lot more good ideas for the unused and wasted green space and ruins that exist on STJ.

[overman]

thank you ez...your command of sarcasm is impressive, and i don't blame you a bit...i think if i lived there i would not be happy watching tourism erode my home...with my dumb question i was thinking more along the lines of a hike like reef bay that celebrates the island's beauty and ends in a cool location at the top with minimal environmental impact....where you put the dunkin donuts luxury resort and heliport of course. oman.

[cptnkirk]

HEY don't forget a nice little cruise port off the tip and maybe some beach lifts to all the North Shore Beaches, no a better idea would be zip lines, that would be cool. Throw in the MILF bar for good measure.

[Exit Zero]

Actually I do think if the National Park Service owns the land and has enough money , [which has never been the case] , it could easily develop both those sites in what some would consider eco-sensitive and useful and others would decry.

[deejayjay]

We stayed 2 years at honeymoon cottage which is just across marys bay from marys point. Would hate to see it developed at all.
But, hubby, the adventurous one, really wished there was a hiking trail that went over penninsula between mary and francis bay and out across mary's point to the shore. There is also suppose to be some ruins out on Marys point. He walked that way one day, but decided there was definately no access or trail.

[DaveS007]

What? No Starbucks ! Blasphemy, EZ.

[hugo]

I've gotta point out that Fortsberg is not in the national park, and it is getting developed, by subdivision and short-term rental villas. There are at least five villas out there now, surreal contrast to the ruins and their story. The St. Johnian family that owns the fort is determined to try to preserve it, but the pressures are immense--especially when all that land has been reassessed based on what some of it was purchased for in 2004 or so. We're talking about $20,000-50,000 a year and up for anyone that holds significant acreage. The reassessments have been on hold for three years, but there is no talk in the St. Thomas based Government about scrapping them--St. Thomas and St. Croix assessments actually went down.
We are looking at possibly having to pay 3 or 4 years at once... Sure looks like a plan to get all the rest of the 100s of private acres subdivided and sold for next to nothing. Sometimes we do feel like there is a plot to destroy St. John, led by St. Thomas and abetted by St. Croix.

[shoemak38]

This issue sounds so like Vermont in the 70's
Vermont passed a law no more than 5% of your income can go into your taxes. This would take care of St John issuefor locals and keep taxes high for big villa's

[toes in the sand]

If I may vere a little bit off topic, has anyone ever noticed the shape of Mary Point from Leinster Bay? My wife pointed it out this visit. It appears to be a face with well defined eyes, nose and chin. I saw an amazing resemblence to the monolithic face in a movie I have seen, I believe it was Mission to Mars. Perhaps we can strip the greenery off of the point and find remnants of an alien civilization that once came to visit StJ but left because it became too crowded when the Tainos moved into the neighborhood. And install a zipline from Mary point to the MILF bar on Waterlemon Cay of course.