Rutnik Supports Coral Bay Marina Project

To whom it may concern,

I would like to put on the record my support of the Coral Bay Marina project on parcels 10-41, 10-18 and 10-19 Estate Carolina, Coral Bay, St. John.

St. John currently has no yacht marina facility any where on the island and for that matter very few locations to even locate such a facility. There is no doubt in anyoneÂ’s mind that such a facility is desperately needed. We are surrounded by water and the islands support a major marine industry, so the need for a marina is evident.

Coral Bay is the ideal location to locate a marina because of its large harbor and strategic location to the marine industries main attractions both in the USVI and the BVI.

I have complete confidence in the proposal set forth by the developers of the proposed facility and have known them personally for many years. They love their island and would never betray their ancestry by allowing a poorly planned or constructed facility to spoil their own front yard.

Having said that, it is also my opinion that no one but God can create the perfect, so this project may incur some flaws along the way, but that is the way of all ventures that require risk and vision.

I have read the general comments circulated by some of the concerned citizens of St. John and consider them well thought out and worthy of consideration. I would consider them speculative at best and could be debated for years only to find out that in the end they are all opinions of what could happen, not what will happen.

A marina is a risky venture and these people have pledged their land and money to give St. John its first marina, I hope and pray that they succeed, so that other native St. Johnians will take encouragement from their efforts and become a bigger player in their islands economy.

In conclusion, I believe that a favorable decision will result in an improved Coral Bay, and a change for the better. The Coral Bay of twenty years ago had a romantic character of unspoiled idyllic scenery with a cohesive community that shared the same space with little rancor or divisiveness. But recent events have shown that has changed, a new Coral Bay is emerging, and it is in this infancy of change that visionary decisions are necessary to preserve the best of the past and promote hope for the future. This project is not just about a marina, it is about who we are, and how much we care about St. John.

This island is about its people and not all of us will agree on this project, but I ask you to give it a chance to succeed, and just maybe we can all rejoice in its success, and begin to work together for shaping our future.

Andrew Rutnik