Government officials agreed with Water Island residents at a weekend meeting that the residents, as well as area boat live-aboards and sailing visitors, should have access to facilities to tie up their dinghies and other small boats on St. Thomas. Where and how were issues not so easily resolved.
A major concern that prompted the meeting was the impact on Water Island residents of recent docking policy changes at Crown Bay Marina.
For more than 30 years, Sub Base marinas have provided dinghy docking for Water Island commuters, boat-dwelling residents from Elephant and Honeymoon Bays and visitors anchored in the area. The old Shoreline Marina had a dinghy dock; in the '80s it was torn down to build Crown Bay Marina, which picked up the slack. But last month the new marina management posted rules limiting dinghy access to two hours a day and threatening violators with fines and removal.
Parallel concerns raised at Saturday's meeting were access to the Water Island ferry in Crown Bay Marina and to docking space by Water Island residents who use larger boats to commute to St Thomas.
The meeting took place at the Honeymoon Bay pavilion on Water Island. St. Thomas- Water Island administrator Louis Hill; Port Authority representatives Joe Cranston, Maria Walters and Mel Plaskett; and Coastal Zone Management legal counsel Julita de Leon were present to hear the concerns of about 40 island residents and area boat owners. Residents noted that as they pay property and payroll taxes and are registered voters, their concerns are as community members, not snowbirds or tourists.
One Water Islander said the former marina management recognized "residents as good clients," compared to the new management that "doesn't want local residents as clients."
The Port Authority officials said the government lease to Crown Bay Marina would not require the marina to maintain a public-access dinghy dock unless one were shown in the original permits for the marina. As an alternative, they said, residents could construct, at their own expense, a docking facility on the St Thomas shore near the Crown Bay cruise ship dock.
Attorney de Leon explained Monday that the Planning and Natural Resources Department doesn't have a lease with Crown Bay, but, rather, "We have permits and leases with the Port Authority, which leased the area to Crown Bay." She added, "Permits given to the Port Authority do not provide for a public dock in the conditions."
In response, resident after resident, citing government rights to submerged land, open shorelines and free beaches, argued that the marina had a responsibility to make dock access available to all residents as well as luxury yachts using the marina.
Several residents had copies of a Federal Highway Commission letter designating a ferry "federal highway" from Crown Bay Marina to the Water Island ferry landing. Designated VI 360M, it allows the federal government to expend highway funds for upkeep of the Water Island dock and establishes a right of way for the ferry to operate from Crown Bay Marina. The issue was raised as to whether denial of access at the St. Thomas end constituted blockading a federal highway. Port Authority officials said they would look into it.
Dinghy commuters said they are willing to pay a reasonable fee for all-day docking at the marina, but that the management has refused such access. One resident quoted a marina official as saying, "We do not want Water Islanders in our marina at all."
Louis Morrissette, a co-owner of Tickles restaurant, said the management has openly stated that, "They do not want local residents in the marina and would like to have Tickles leave so that they can install a 5-star restaurant that locals can't afford in its place."
Carol Dudley, Crown Bay Marina manager, could not be reached Monday for comment. A marina office employee said only Dudley could provide information regarding marina policies, and she would not be in the office until Tuesday.
Residents owning boats larger than dinghies said there is nowhere on the St Thomas shore to tie up. Those commuting aboard boats 12 to 20 feet in length now crowd into a tiny corner of Crown Bay behind the Immel's Marine tugboat that is not policed or managed. Some called for the construction of a pier that would be available to Water Islanders.
Hill said there is an immediate need for resolution of the conflicts between Crown Bay Marina management and the residents, as commuters need to have safe and reasonable access to a dinghy dock. Eventually, he said, the management would have to argue its case for eliminating the dinghy dock, as its plans to build luxury yacht docking where the current dinghy dock is located will require a major Coastel Zone Management permit.
Long term, as the Water Island, Hassel Island and boating populations grow, Hill said, the Port Authority "will have to develop public docking for Water Islanders and for the boating community in Crown Bay." One idea advanced was to transform the current rocky shore where the two cannons are located into a cement ribbon of dock space.
