MARIGOT--Captain Frenchy’s Restaurant located on the boulevard in Grand Case is one establishment that has reacted to the November 17 Executive Council decision to ban sun-loungers and parasols from Grand Case Beach in what many perceive to be part of a hasty measure by the Collectivité to stop illegal activities on the beach.
While the decision was passed to the Préfecture for the Controle de L’Egalité, it is not clear what happens now, whether regulation will take place in terms of issuing temporary occupation permits AOT to those operating illegally or whether chairs and umbrellas have to be removed, or other compromises made. In the meantime businesses on the beach with sun-loungers and umbrellas are in a state of limbo.
St. Martiner Cécilien Richardson Flanders (73), owner of Captain Frenchy’s, says the whole controversy has been “blown out of proportion” and a decision was made without getting the viewpoint of the restaurants. But he also objected to comments made by his “good friend” Louis Mussington in a recent article on the matter.
Flanders showed The Daily Herald all his documents and licences proving that he is operating the 45-seater restaurant legally since 2002. He also showed a letter from Vice-President Guillaume Arnell on February 26, 2015, requesting Flanders to “regulate his situation.” He complied and submitted all documents asked for and got a receipt but since then never received a reply.
“I say be careful that you don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg,” Flanders said. “I am one St. Martiner who has contributed a tremendous amount to the economy over the years through tourism and the only person to recognise me for that was Louis-Constant Fleming. I’m going by the books, doing everything legally on a public beach. I do everything to abide by the law.”
He added he pays all the social charges for employees – a bill of some 13,000 euros, as well as electricity and water bills, and the four per cent turnover tax to the Collectivité.
Unlike most other beach restaurants, Frenchy’s does not stipulate you have to eat in the restaurant or have a drink in order to use the beach chairs. Sun-loungers and umbrellas are free to use for anyone along with the free Wi-Fi.
Flanders started the first of the legal lolos in Grand Case in 1989 until Hurricane Luis ravaged the island in 1995 destroying everything in its path.
“They never gave me back my lolo when they rebuilt and that’s the reason I came here to this piece of land which was abandoned by my family and built the restaurant, and on the back street there [Rue Franklin Laurence – Ed.] all those buildings you see were created by my family. There was just water there and we filled in the land illegally because there was no other way to do things then to get authorisation. Today all those houses and businesses are bringing in employment and money for the Collectivité.
“I’m not criticising the decision of the President but don’t bite the hands that feed you. I agree the beach needs to be regulated and not saturated with chairs and umbrellas. All it needs is a quota of chairs for each business. Have a limit, just like taxi licences. Just regulate the situation so we can live in peace.”
Flanders indicated it was the business next door to him that caused the problems in the first place by putting their chairs and tables in the water.
“That was total disrespect. But don’t come and destroy my business because someone else is doing something wrong. Why wasn’t that business stopped and fined by the police? The Collectivité shouldn’t destroy everyone’s livelihood because of one person. They should be honouring me instead of destroying me.”
He questioned why the President and the elected officials did not come to the beach to see the situation for themselves and carry out a study before taking a decision and if the for and against petition about the sun-loungers was taken into account.
“Seeing as there were five abstentions the vote should have been delayed. It would have looked more democratic,” he reasoned.
Out on the beach, Frenchy’s yellow chairs and umbrellas are all placed in neat rows. What was noticeable on the day this newspaper visited was the ample space between the water and first row of chairs. Not having room to stroll along the beach had been one of the complaints.
