Win Win???
Here are some photos from today, is this the win/win solution reached regarding the road in front of the Westin?? Split the road in half??
P1040787 Hosted on Zooomr
P1040791 Hosted on Zooomr
SXM Private Eye has a copy of the Westin planning permit posted. The bit about the road is under article 3. I am not great at the language of this type of permit but to me it says the following: The road currently in public use (the Oyster Pond road) passes in front of the resort entrance - normally the government would have assumed the ownership of that road (I think because it has been in use by the public for so long - what's that called, eminent domain?), but the Westin is exempted from having to give that road to the government as long as they fix it up to a certain standard and maintain the road. They are allowed to put up security subject to the approval of the government.
So in short, the Westin officially owns it but they are supposed to let the public use it and they are supposed to pave and maintain it.
That's how I read it. Why is this an argument now? Why does there have to be any sort of win win compromise in which the road is split in half? Why isn't the resort being required to pave the rest of it as the planning permit says?
What does this resort bring to St. Maarten? Nothing. Look at the "Letter of Comfort":
- There are no property taxes on the Dutch side, so there will be none of those tax dollars filling the public coffer.
- They are paying a lower rate for water than even single homes in nearby neighborhoods, and they are given the lower rate for 5 years. One would think that they should be charged the commercial rate since GEBE will have to work triple time to bring water to everyone on this part of the island - and this is a part of the island where there are often outtages or very low pressure.
- They are exempt from turnover tax (3%) for 10 (TEN) years and from the 5% guest tax for 5 years. So the island is receiving no tax dollars, none at all, as far as I know. (P.S. Dear Westin guests, how much is the tax and service charge that is added to your bill? Is it the standard 20%? Was the service worth that 20%? Do you feel ripped off yet?)
This island is small, there is not enough room here for mistakes as large as this one. This kind of thing is not reversible, there is not room for a learning curve. There was one chance for this hotel to be built well, for the benefit of everyone, and it is gone. Soon, where will kids living in St. Maarten go to be free and to learn to love the island? They will only be able to go to the beach with a special pass, they will have no place to ride a bike except in their own driveway, no place to play but at their own house, no place to see nature unless they buy a ticket or watch the rats running around the construction site dumpsters. Why would anyone born here stay here if that is the future?
I guess I am feeling down today.
P1040787 Hosted on ZooomrP1040791 Hosted on ZooomrSXM Private Eye has a copy of the Westin planning permit posted. The bit about the road is under article 3. I am not great at the language of this type of permit but to me it says the following: The road currently in public use (the Oyster Pond road) passes in front of the resort entrance - normally the government would have assumed the ownership of that road (I think because it has been in use by the public for so long - what's that called, eminent domain?), but the Westin is exempted from having to give that road to the government as long as they fix it up to a certain standard and maintain the road. They are allowed to put up security subject to the approval of the government.
So in short, the Westin officially owns it but they are supposed to let the public use it and they are supposed to pave and maintain it.
That's how I read it. Why is this an argument now? Why does there have to be any sort of win win compromise in which the road is split in half? Why isn't the resort being required to pave the rest of it as the planning permit says?
What does this resort bring to St. Maarten? Nothing. Look at the "Letter of Comfort":
- There are no property taxes on the Dutch side, so there will be none of those tax dollars filling the public coffer.
- They are paying a lower rate for water than even single homes in nearby neighborhoods, and they are given the lower rate for 5 years. One would think that they should be charged the commercial rate since GEBE will have to work triple time to bring water to everyone on this part of the island - and this is a part of the island where there are often outtages or very low pressure.
- They are exempt from turnover tax (3%) for 10 (TEN) years and from the 5% guest tax for 5 years. So the island is receiving no tax dollars, none at all, as far as I know. (P.S. Dear Westin guests, how much is the tax and service charge that is added to your bill? Is it the standard 20%? Was the service worth that 20%? Do you feel ripped off yet?)
This island is small, there is not enough room here for mistakes as large as this one. This kind of thing is not reversible, there is not room for a learning curve. There was one chance for this hotel to be built well, for the benefit of everyone, and it is gone. Soon, where will kids living in St. Maarten go to be free and to learn to love the island? They will only be able to go to the beach with a special pass, they will have no place to ride a bike except in their own driveway, no place to play but at their own house, no place to see nature unless they buy a ticket or watch the rats running around the construction site dumpsters. Why would anyone born here stay here if that is the future?
I guess I am feeling down today.
8 comments:
Well, I'm depressed now! :)
It's true about the kids. How many will stay as they watch outsiders come and gobble up EVERY LAST PIECE of open space?
sorry if I post twice, blogger is funky this morning.
Jess, while my parents live on the French side this disaster impacts the entire island. How did the Westin, a huge hotel chain score such a deal?
Who is running the govt. on that side of the island? They need to be voted out of office. Soon St. Lucia, Anguilla and Nevis will get all the tourists who used to go to St. Maarten before it was over developed. The Dominos at the airport pisses me off.
that is so weird my sister and I posted at the same time. :)
I drove past on the riff raff portion of the road in front of the Westin today and saw something hilarious. They put up a security guard hut and gate to get into the resort but it looked like the guard had no intention of opening it when it was raining - the gate was down and there were 2 cars sitting in front of it waiting to get in, looking around as if to say, "what now?"
PS - just read a trip report, the taxes are %15 service plus 8% tax plus a $5 resort fee (just for giggles I guess)... so lets assume that the 15% service charge actually gets paid out or whatever, I think most hotels charge that. That leaves the 8% - it breaks down to the 3% turnover tax and 5% room tax, both of which they are getting a exempted from for at least 5 years. If we assume 60% occupancy on average that is about 190 rooms booked every day - trip advisor shows the daily rate at $353, probably costs more for beachfront, less for courtyard so I'll take that as my average...
$353.00 x 8% = $28.24
$28.24 x 190 rooms = $5,365.60 (per day) or
$5365.60 x 365 = $1,958,444.00
or FLS 3,486,030.32
That's a lot of money the island is not earning. Oh wait, I forgot, hold on - 5 years worth would be $9,792,220.00.
Here are some ways that money could be used that the Westin would benefit from as well as the island, thereby making it worthwhile for everyone if the taxes were paid:
- better and well lit roads with sidewalks
- a better trained and more well equipped police force
- a recycling/garbage program for the Dutch side so that the island does not become buried in trash or explode with improperly discarded chemicals
Just a few ideas.
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I passed there today and it is indeed extremely sad. I still can not believe that people actually can build something that ugly. There is only one solution. Demolition.
Oh please! No more. It's NOT that bad!
I actually enjoyed my stay.
Hi anonymous 1 and 2: thanks for commenting.
Anyone who reads my blog knows I think the Westin is an abomination, so I do tend to agree with anonymous number 1.
Anonymous number 2 = I love SXM and so I am always glad to hear that someone who visited here had a good time. I am certain that lots of people who stay at the Westin will enjoy their stay, and I have no doubt that the Westin is improving their property and their customer service as the days go by. After all, it BENEFITS THEM to do so.
Also, why would a one week visitor ever know that the Westin is so contemptuous of their neighbors and the island. They have a large advertising budget, and they certainly are not going to mention any of the problems they are having or the accusations leveled against them. Buyer beware, right? After all, what does it matter to you? You don't live here.
The point, I think, of all the outcry about the hotel, is that there is no benefit at all to the island in the development of this hotel. In fact, in the end, it has been detrimental to the environment, to the neighborhood, to the tax revenues of the island, and finally to the citizens of St. Maarten. The point in saying this over and over and over again is that hopefully future developments will be held to some higher standard.
So yeah, sorry if you are sick of hearing it, but I will continue harping on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on... well, you get the point.
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