Final Town Hall Meeting Held for USVI Land and Water Use Plan as Decades-Old Zoning Mandate Nears Fulfillment

Community engagement marks a milestone in the development of a comprehensive zoning framework aimed at ending spot zoning and enhancing sustainable land use across the territory

Despite legislation dating back to 1970 that mandates a comprehensive land and water use plan for the territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands has continued to lack that framework, which has led to “spot zoning”— zoning exceptions that permit different land use than the surrounding area— and other community inconveniences. On Thursday, however, Virgin Islanders became one step closer to the decades-long goal, as the Department of Planning and Natural Resources held another town hall meeting in St. Croix for residents to provide feedback on a proposed plan.‌

The community meeting was the fourth and final in-person opportunity for DPNR to receive community feedback on the land and water use plan—which was largely developed by an external consultancy group—before the department finalizes and submits it to the 35th legislature by the end of the year. A St. Thomas town hall meeting for the plan was held on Tuesday, while a meeting on St. John was held on the day prior.