Harbor Area: Developments That Make an Impact

Both the project and the construction work were discussed at the most recent territorial council meetings. But it was only after the Collectivité’s communications department posted an announcement online on June 24 on a so-called “social” network regarding the start of development work at the back of the harbor in Gustavia—intended to provide angled parking spaces—that reactions began to pour in. First and foremost, people were surprised to learn that the work would be launched “soon.”
Thus, the first vice president of the territorial council, Marie-Hélène Bernier (Action-Équilibre group), noted that the executive council “has not approved” the project. Alexandra Questel, 4th Vice President and leader of the Saint-Barth d’Abord group, echoed her sentiments. “This project was not adopted by the Executive Council, nor was the call for bids approved by the Executive Council,” the elected official explained. “It seems to me that this is a project costing over 400,000 euros for two additional parking spaces without solving the traffic flow problem on this road. I’m surprised to see this announcement. ” There is no doubt that the procedural issues will be resolved before work begins. Unless the formal approval comes only a few weeks later, as was the case with improvements in the Grand Fond neighborhood.
The online post has also raised many questions among the island’s internet users. “What’s the point of the shuttle if they’re still adding more parking spaces?” asks Anthony. “And what are we going to do with that nice parking lot on the cliff?” adds Perle. As for Elie, he takes the discussion a step further and writes: “I’ve always heard that the goal was to relieve traffic congestion in Gustavia. To relieve traffic congestion in a town, do we create more parking? The planned development is probably better than what exists today, where cars are parked haphazardly in a space that deserves better. That’s undeniable. But you could add 200 more spots in the center, and the problem would still be the same: the more parking spaces you create right in the heart of Gustavia, the more cars will come.”
Sylvère Gréaux, territorial councilor for Saint-Barth d’Abord, notes: “The best strategy for parking is to have parking lots on secondary roads, where maneuvering isn’t a problem (…) In the end, a project that was not approved—neither by the MDMT (Land Use Planning) Committee, nor by the Urban Planning Committee, nor by the Executive Council—has nevertheless been launched.”
For now, construction has not begun. An Executive Council meeting will precede the Territorial Council meeting, which is scheduled for July 16. The matter can therefore be reviewed quickly by elected officials.