It seems St. Maarten is slowly but surely losing one of its biggest attractions. In addition to the white sandy beaches with crystal-clear blue water and its picturesque lagoons, the green hills are an important part of the destination’s paradise-like image.
Mind you, things could have been worse were it not for the Hillside Policy introduced in the 1990s that allows no building on hilltops, ridges and above the 200-metre altitude line. It must be said, adopting the policy at the request of environmentalists took political courage, as some of the land concerned was already in private hands. There were a few deviations over the years, but enforcing the policy has no doubt helped preserve the natural beauty that the hilly landscape provides.
However, the prohibited area for construction remains rather limited, so more and more hillside developments continue to take place. Perhaps it is time to discuss expanding the protected zone – barring, of course, existing structures and approved planning permits, etc. – no matter how controversial that may sound.
Not everyone will obviously agree. Former commissioner Elton Jones in a letter to the editor published on February 23, 2013, argued there is no affordable land left that locals can get except in the hills, where they are not allowed to build.
What’s more, then independent Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Lake in June 2016 asked for a review of the Hillside Policy, calling it “outdated.” He wanted specifically the distance from the summit where people can construct homes to be evaluated again and possibly reduced.
The idea was advised against in this same column at the time, but now it appears maintaining the current restrictions alone might not be enough. Taking it a step further should be seriously considered to save what little is left.
