Dear Editor, Please allow me some space in your newspaper to address Minister Lake and the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI.
Minister Lake, while running across the causeway a few days ago, I counted 13 walkers and joggers along the lane at the same time. That was just during the 8 minutes or so that it took me to cross over to Colebay, so you can imagine how many more of us are using this area for exercise throughout the day.
As I neared the Colebay side of the Causeway, I noticed the sandy mangrove areas to each side and remembered that I had heard that these would be developed into a marina and a hotel. Now, maybe these were just rumours but it really got me thinking.
Whoever owns this land, I appeal to you and your morals to do the right thing. What we need more than anything here in St. Maarten is space for our kids and families. The last thing we need is more hotels, apartments and marinas. Really.
Since so many of us are using the causeway for exercise, and parking along the airport road side to do so, I suggest the following plan for this land on the Colebay side. To the right, on the Port de Plaisance side, please create a park with exercise stations (simple wooden structures that we can use for pull ups, sit ups, squats, etc.), kids swings and monkey bars, a few benches and a small climbing wall. I would be more than happy to provide you with plans, as well as the know-how and know-who to build them. This would cost less than $10,000 and could create a steady job for a maintenance and clean-up crew. As a business owner, I would be happy to pay a monthly tax towards maintaining a park of this sort.
To the left of the Causeway, create a small dock for bird watching and for dinghies and a parking area for those who are using the area for walk and runs.
Whichever political party agrees that more green space and less commercial development on empty lots is a good thing for our island gets my family’s vote in August.
Susy Piscione – Daily Herald
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