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National Park Service Opens Comment Period On Caneel Bay's Future

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By Compiled From N... - January 18th, 2022
A National Park Service planning team is working to define the role of Caneel Bay at Virgin Islands National Park/NPS file

The National Park Service has released four proposals for how to address the future of Caneel Bay at Virgin Islands National Park/NPS file

A high-end resort would return to Caneel Bay at Virgin Islands National Park under a proposal the National Park Service released Tuesday, and a mid-ranging lodging option also would be included in the package.

The future of the idyllic property near Cruz Bay has been up in the air since September 2017, when back-to-back hurricanes leveled the tony Caneel Bay Resort. The operator, CBI Acquisitions, hasn't built back, instead trying to secure a long-term lease after its current one runs out in September 2023.

Negotiations around that prospect halted last year after CBIA agreed to let contractors on the grounds to test for possible environmental contamination. Early last year that testing detected a variety of wastes, some hazardous to humans, on not quite eight acres of the grounds of the resort. Varying levels of arsenic, elevated levels of certain pesticides, and a "mixture of benign organic materials, plastics, metals, and CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) hazardous substances, including the pesticide DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls," turned up.

Last July the Park Service announced that a competitive bid process would be used to find an operator for the beleaguered resort. That process will be affected by the cost of the cleanup and who pays for it.

In November, Park Service planners began to draft a framework for what would be allowed on the resort grounds. Under the draft proposed action, the property would be developed to include "a world-class overnight experience at a luxury resort. Additionally, the concept calls for a mid-range overnight experience at Hawksnest Beach separate from the resort, and the NPS would provide space for an organization to design, fund, construct, and operate a community destination, such as an amphitheater, museum or cultural center."

"We developed a preliminary range of options that prioritize the protection of resources and expand public access to Caneel Bay,” said Virgin Islands Superintendent Nigel Fields. “Civic engagement is an important part of the redevelopment process. We look forward to receiving the public’s feedback as we work together to create the best possible future for Caneel Bay.”

The goals of the redevelopment plan are "to ensure the preservation and protection of natural, cultural and marine resources, provide for economic development opportunities through commercial services, maximize operational efficiencies, and ensure compliance with law, regulation and policy," a park release said Tuesday.

In line with these objectives, four preliminary redevelopment options are proposed for the public to comment on, including:

  • Alternative A— The NPS preliminary proposed action balances enhanced public access, recreational opportunities, resource protection and park operational efficiency, while re-establishing a world-class overnight experience at a luxury resort. Additionally, the concept calls for a mid-range overnight experience at Hawksnest Beach separate from the resort, and the NPS would provide space for an organization to design, fund, construct, and operate a community destination, such as an amphitheater, museum or cultural center.
  • Alternative B offers a similar management approach to Alternative A, except the resort area is expanded and a mid-range overnight experience and public access at Hawksnest Beach is removed.
  • Alternative C includes all resort zone elements identified in Alternative A, and the resort zone is similar to that of the historic boundaries of the Caneel Bay RUE. No visitor services would be provided at the site for non-resort guests, and the NPS would not provide a community space at the Caneel Bay area.
  • No-Action Alternative assumes sole management by the NPS upon expiration of the RUE in 2023. The NPS would not issue any permit, lease or concession contract. The NPS would minimally restore the site to allow for safe access by visitors through existing roads and trails, including safe access to beaches.

Public comment on the proposals is being taken through February 17. Additional information about the proposed redevelopment options can be found at https://go.nps.gov/1vippd and will be discussed at the public engagement meetings. There will be a virtual public meeting on Tuesday, February 8 at 6 p.m. AST. Members of the public can attend the virtual event or submit written comments by visiting https://go.nps.gov/1vippd.  

Written comments may also be hand-delivered or mailed to the park headquarters at:      

Caneel Bay Redevelopment and Management Plan       
c/o Superintendent Nigel Fields       
1300 Cruz Bay Creek       
St. John, VI 00830

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