Gallows Point Resort in Cruz Bay has applied to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to install a 96-foot floating dock in Cruz Bay to “provide safe access for boating and water-based recreational activities for owners and guests at Gallows Point Resort,” according to an announcement posted by the Army Corps on Sept. 25.
The plan calls for the installation of a 4-foot-wide dock (with a total area of 384 square feet) made of open-grated decking set in an aluminum frame on pontoons. “The dock would extend offshore to approximately 3.5 ft of water and would be used for small dinghies, sailboats, kayaks, and paddle boards,” the announcement states.
The public has until Friday to submit comments to USACE. Comments regarding the project – permit number SAJ-2024-01176 (SP-KMU) – may be sent to the attention of the district engineer through Karen Urelius, project manager, Antilles Permits Section at karen.m.urelius@usace.army.mil. Questions concerning this application should be directed to Urelius at karen.m.urelius@usace.army.mil or by calling 787-370-8359.
The proposed dock will be held in place in the water by six sand screws, and “the landward end of the dock would attach to a concrete platform with stairs….constructed landward of the high tide line.”
According to the announcement, the dock will be located in Galge Bay on the northeastern portion of the resort. The graphics provided indicate that the site is just inland of the reef on the western side of Cruz Bay.
Akhil Deshwal, manager of Gallows Point Resort, did not respond to messages left by the Source to clarify the dock’s location and use.
According to the Army Corps notice, “the dock will be placed in an area devoid of corals and native seagrass.” Cruz Bay includes the public ferry dock and is one of four bays on St. John where anchoring is permitted. It has been a site of continuous marine activity for decades.
It’s unclear whether the dock’s location will affect moorings that are currently in use as well as possible anchoring sites in Cruz Bay. The notice states, “Two mooring buoys in the bay and a wooden ramp on the shoreline would be removed prior to installation of the dock.”
It’s also unclear whether the Coastal Zone Commission will hold a public hearing about the project. “A floating dock attached to mooring anchors probably does not require a CZM permit,” said David Silverman, a former CZM commissioner. “It is like a boat attached to an anchor. In practice, it would be up to the discretion of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources.”
The project’s land portion, including the platform with steps, would require a minor CZM permit but would not automatically trigger a public hearing if its costs were less than $75,000, Silverman continued.
Members of the public may request that the Army Corps conduct a public hearing to review the project, but “The request must be submitted in writing to the District Engineer within the designated comment period of the notice and must state the specific reasons for requesting the public hearing,” the notice states.
