$2.25 Million Funding for Acquisition of Maho Approved

tjwgrr · Post by **tjwgrr** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 8:55 am

Tradewinds is reporting $2.25 million approved for land acquisition of Maho Bay by the VINP!

http://www.stjohntradewindsnews.com/

In general I'm not a supporter of earmarks, but I certainly make an exception for this one.

fbarnako · Post by **fbarnako** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:36 am

I've been wanting to write more about this ... it doesn't make sense. $2.5 million is nowhere near enough to buy "Maho Bay." It can't be more than a few acres, I suspect.

Unfortunately, the Delegate's Web site includes no news release with details about anything included for the VI. And a search on the Web for the Omnibus bill for its earmarks yields PDFS full of pure gibberish, seemingly designed to obscure than explain.

I'd like to think this is a big deal toward preserving Maho, but I don't think it is. Anyone know?

Lulu76 · Post by **Lulu76** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:42 am

That was my first thought too. I haven't been to Islandia's web site lately, but last I heard the owners wanted something in the $20 - $30 million range for Maho. So, while $2.5 million is nice, it's not even the tip of the iceberg.

Maybe they're hoping to do what they did with the last bunch of Maho land they bought -- throw it into the pot with the Trust for Public Land and see if they can get enough to make it happen.

Maybe the land owners would sell it to the park for less than they would the public. However, if that were the case, they wouldn't have contracted Islandia to list it three years before the lease was up.

BillnSue · Post by **BillnSue** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:19 pm

tgw...didn't see your post before posting my own....YES!

Rbaron721 · Post by **Rbaron721** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:32 pm

I wish we could rally everyone on this blog and perhaps create a web campaign to raise money to purchase more of the land for the VINP.

Lulu76 · Post by **Lulu76** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:27 pm

I have thought about it. In fact, on our trip a few months ago, I mentioned it to the other girls I traveled with. I'd love if everyone from this forum could chip in a little to help save Maho.

What I don't know is how to do it logistically. I am suspecting we'd donate to the Trust for Public Land, however, do they have a fund earmarked for saving Maho. Is it even on their priority list?

I don't know. I just know if we don't do something it's going to be an all-inclusive or a timeshare soon enough.

designbyroe · Post by **designbyroe** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 6:24 pm

John is the man to ask, he would be able to tell us how to set up a fund or direct us to who could.
Who all are interested?

John Garrison
The Trust for Public Land
1595 Bay Street SE, Suite 3
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 895-5090
john.garrison@tpl.org

hugo · Post by **hugo** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 10:18 pm

I would say, unless something changes startlingly in the economy, $15 million is the maximum they could expect get from any developer these days, so don't dwell too much on that asking price. If the owners have any conscience about the property ( this is an unknown, they don't live here and never have) they would come lower....
The Trust for Public Land worked VERY hard on the acquisition of the 400+ acres of Big Maho over the past 8 or 9 years, with results that are far better than we dared hope, although it remains to be seen what the remaining 1/11 heirs do there.
The days of Peter Bay style subdivision are finished on St. John (hopefully forever)
and any other style of development at Little Maho would require major CZM permits, and that might not be too easy in that location.
Any donation to TPL , no matter how small, could, realistically, make a big difference!

designbyroe · Post by **designbyroe** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 10:25 pm

good points as usual Hugo.
you are quite wise

hugo wrote:I would say, unless something changes startlingly in the economy, $15 million is the maximum they could expect get from any developer these days, so don't dwell too much on that asking price. If the owners have any conscience about the property ( this is an unknown, they don't live here and never have) they would come lower....
The Trust for Public Land worked VERY hard on the acquisition of the 400+ acres of Big Maho over the past 8 or 9 years, with results that are far better than we dared hope, although it remains to be seen what the remaining 1/11 heirs do there.
The days of Peter Bay style subdivision are finished on St. John (hopefully forever)
and any other style of development at Little Maho would require major CZM permits, and that might not be too easy in that location.
Any donation to TPL , no matter how small, could, realistically, make a big difference!

Sailin'Steve and Peachie · Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:54 am

Does anyone know if Maho Bay yields any kind of net profit annually? Perhaps this could be used to help offset acquisition cost.

If, given the current RE market which will likely stay depressed for the foreseeable future,the price is more in the $15M range, perhaps a benefactor could be found. This money seems a pittance to preserve balance in the financial range of people who are able to afford to visit one of our nation's National Parks.

Maho is a "lifestyle" as much as a vacation spot, a place set in one of the most beautiful locations in the world where people of all financial strata rub shoulders very comfortably and share in a common bond of wanting to be close to nature. We cannot let this gem slip through our fingers.

With all this "stimulus" money floating about, how can we direct some to this worthy cause towards our children's future?

An infusion of money would also be helpful in updating some of the tents more in line with the eco-tents at Estate Concordia. Solar hot water and power, low energy ice boxes, clevis toilets and very comfortable sleeping accomodations would draw Donna and I (and I'm sure others) back.

The Dining Pavilion (best deal on the island) is a draw unto itself as are the range of available activities.

How to get this done??

Rbaron721 · Post by **Rbaron721** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 5:46 pm

I'll call Garrison at the TPL Monday. Couldn't someone just set up a non-profit entity, raise the money, buy the land and then give it directly to the VINP? Why would we have to ho through the TPL? I know they are a great organization but if I call Monday and find out that they don't have a fund set up or that they couldn't promise to use donations intended for the Maho Bay acquisition to buy the land, we should consider moving forward with setting up an entity and a website. I've been coming down to STJ for 4 years now and it is already emblazened in my soul. I can say the same for my wife. We intend to start having kids over the next year and I want to see them play in Maho Bay and appreciate it's natural setting. We all lose if a resort, a timeshare or some other kind of development ruins this place. I for one, will feel like a piece of my soul chipped away if that happened.

St. John Lover · Post by **St. John Lover** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 11:18 pm

Boy, I haven't posted here for awhile (all work and no play makes me a sad girl) but I just had to laugh and post when I read this. All great minds think alike I guess

I just sent an e-mail to TPL a couple days ago (I'm on their mailing list since I gave for the original Maho need) and wanted to ensure that I could continue to designate that my donations would be used for property on St. John, which I've been doing.

They e-mailed back right away verifying that indeed I should just continue noting that on the memo line and include a note with my donation as well.

Of course, I still think it's a good idea that whoever was going to contact the TPL person on Monday does so--to get clarification on exactly what's going on (or what they mean by) the earmark set aside for Maho (as in exactly what property, how much, etc).

Thanks for doing this!

usvi-on-line