VIPA Restricts Three Parking Spaces on Waterfront To Villa Companies

 

Three parking spaces were recently restricted for use by “Licensed Villa Companies” only at the Cruz Bay waterfront, above.

Since taking over management of the Cruz Bay waterfront in December 2013, V.I. Port Authority officials made little change until last week when officials restricted use of three of the seven parking spots available to the public.

Most of the parking spaces at the Cruz Bay waterfront are open only to taxi drivers, leaving seven parking spots at the north end of the beach open to the public.

During the weekend of March 29 and 30, VIPA installed two signs reading “Loading and Unloading Only By Licensed Villa Company” and marking off three of those seven spaces.

VIPA officials made no public announcement about the change of policy and got no public feedback about the new parking restrictions. At least several residents who frequent the waterfront area on a daily basis were not pleased with VIPA’s new signs.

“I drop my kids off on the 7 a.m. ferry and I can’t use this parking space,” said one mother who was unhappy with VIPA’s recent changes to the Cruz Bay waterfront. “There are no villa people here at 7 a.m. picking up guests but I still can’t use those spaces. Who is in charge down here anyway?”

Another resident questioned VIPA’s authority to enforce parking regulations at the waterfront.
“Who around here can come up and give me a ticket,” asked the resident. “People come up and harass you but what is their authority.”

Governor John deJongh put VIPA in charge of the waterfront taxi operations in December 2013 after the now defunct St. John Taxi Association was evicted. VIPA initially announced changes to the waterfront taxi operations ranging from only allowing 20 taxi drivers to operate on any given day, creating a staging area at the Enighed Pond parking lot for taxis and charging anyone picking up guests at the waterfront a $10 fee.

No Response from VIPA Officials
Since December none of those announced changes have been evident as operations at the waterfront seemed to continue as before VIPA took over. VIPA officials — who did not issue a press release about the new parking restrictions or make a public announcement about the new signs — did not return St. John Tradewinds phone calls requesting comment on the new parking restrictions.

Senator at Large Craig Barshinger has also been waiting to hear from VIPA officials, he explained.
“We asked VIPA Executive Director Carlton Dowe to supply us with a comprehensive plan for the waterfront,” said Barshinger. “Everyone wants to use that area and no one is really sure what the rules are. We’re still waiting for a response; we have not received anything from VIPA about a plan for the waterfront.”

“What we really want is not  just a piecemeal approach, we want a comprehensive approach for the use of this area which is the nerve center of St. John,” said the Senator at Large.

VIPA should host a town meeting and listen to the residents of St. John about what they want to see at the Cruz Bay waterfront, Barshinger explained.

“I would encourage VIPA to have a meeting on St. John and request the use of the Legislature Building and discuss how we will collectively use this area,” said Barshinger. “Recognizing that there is a great deal of interest and a great deal of dissatisfaction, VIPA should come and do a lot of listening. Then they should formulate a plan that meets the needs of the residents of St. John.”