Proposed land use plan would discourage home ownership, residents and Realtors say

By TANYA MANNES
Friday, October 1st 2004

ST. THOMAS - Real estate agents on St. Thomas and others raised the alarm Thursday about whether a proposed V.I. Land and Water Use Plan would make it harder for "average Joes" to afford houses.

By requiring larger lot sizes, the plan could raise home prices, real estate broker Nick Bailey said.

Bailey spoke at a town meeting held by the Senate Planning and Environmental Protection Committee to discuss the bill, which would revamp the territory's development law. This is the latest draft of a proposal to set zoning and other land-use regulations to create a blueprint for development instead of the fragmented laws and regulations currently in use.

Bailey said the plan should be studied for its effect on property values, property taxes and the economy. He urged lawmakers to table the bill until after the election.

"We can do better than this plan," Bailey said.

But Committee Chairman Sen. Louis Hill said the land use plan, which has been discussed, researched and revised since 1970, would not be pushed aside. The Virgin Islands is long overdue in developing a plan for "smart growth," he said.

"We're not going to table this bill," Hill said. "As imperfect as it may be, it's here and it's on the table. We're going to keep working on it until it is perfect, but we won't take it off the table."

Attorney Maria Hodge said another flaw is that the plan would limit homeowners from renting out small apartments on the property to help pay the mortgage. As it stands, the legislation would require a major permit - an expensive and time-consuming process - in order to add more than one living unit to a single-family lot.

Hill said, "If the plan has issues that would limit Virgin Islanders' ability to own land - clearly, that is not our intent."

Jeyan Stout, president of the St. Thomas Board of Realtors, said that revising the bill is not enough. She said the plan should be rewritten to address the unique needs of each island.