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PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Patrice Gumbs, representing the Party for Progress (PFP), appeared in Parliament on Wednesday afternoon to answer questions from Members of Parliament (MPs) regarding the delayed publication of building permits.
He claimed the issue had been resolved in November 2024, yet the January 31 edition of the National Gazette still reflected delays, with five of nine permits published too late for affected persons to file objections.
“The handling of matters over the last few months strongly suggests that the Minister is not in control of his Ministry but is simply reacting to outside influences,” said National Alliance (NA) MP Egbert Doran. Together with fellow NA MPs Darryl York and Ardwell Irion, Doran had requested the urgent parliamentary meeting.
“Are you leading the Ministry or just deflecting blame every time an issue arises?” Doran asked, referring to Gumbs’ public statements that the delayed publication of building permits primarily concerned permits issued by Doran during his tenure as Minister of VROMI. Doran accused Gumbs of launching a media campaign surrounding the February 9, 2024, residential permit he had issued for the 18-storey condo hotel The West Vue, in Cupecoy.
This permit was published in the National Gazette on March 1, 2024, two months before Doran left office. However, he had not issued a Civil Works permit, despite advice from his Policy Department stating that such a permit was required for planned excavations, septic tank installation, and pool construction for the condo hotel. Furthermore, the permit publication covered only one Certificate of Admeasurement (Meetbrief), while four other meetbrievenwere omitted from the listing in the National Gazette.
Doran falsely stated in Parliament that he had never put aside a negative policy recommendation for a development. However, the September 3, 2023, advice from the VROMI Policy Department regarding The West Vue was negative and was ignored by Doran, allowing the issuance of the building permit and construction beyond legal boundaries.
He challenged Gumbs on whether the required legal setbacks had been respected, despite knowing that Article 12 of the Building Ordinance mandates that a space of half the building’s height must be left open between new and existing structures – 28 metres in the case of the 56-metre-high The West Vue. The developers, however, had built and excavated up to less than one metre from neighbouring properties.
Holding up The Daily Herald newspaper, Doran accused Minister Gumbs of being the source of a front-page article alleging that he had issued The West Vue permit against the advice of the VROMI Policy Department. He argued that “only the minister could have provided this information” to the newspaper. In reality, The Daily Herald had obtained the documents as part of a dossier presented during a court hearing on January 24, 2025.
Doran also questioned the Minister’s attendance – alongside Minister of Education Melissa Gumbs, Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling, and others – at the December 4, 2024, “Cementing the Future” event at Vie l’Ven in Indigo Bay, which celebrated “a monumental milestone” in the development of the luxury resort.
Two months later, The Daily Herald reported that VROMI Minister Gumbs had disclosed that the Vie l’Ven building permit had been granted in 2023 under Minister Doran but had never been published in the National Gazette. Gumbs subsequently reissued the permit to allow affected parties to file objections following its publication on February 14, 2025. This permit involved the construction of a marina and breakwater, as well as the placement of sand on the naturally rocky beach. Gumbs also required the Vie l’Ven developers to fund an environmental assessment.
MP Doran questioned how the minister could change his opinion “overnight.” Holding his phone close to the microphone in front of him, he played an audio fragment where Minister Gumbs could be heard speaking during the Vie l’Ven event, pledging his and the Government’s support for the project, saying, “We are partners in this.”
“Partners? Really?” Doran asked. “But when there is an issue, the blame is placed on the previous administration?” He suggested that the Minister’s decision-making is influenced by media attention and pressure from groups and organisations posting videos and comments on social media – a statement echoed by MP Irion, MP York, and United People’s Party leader MP Omar Ottley, who all believe that Minister Gumbs is primarily reactive rather than proactively following his own plan.
However, it was the February 24, 2025, article in The Daily Herald, titled “78% of construction permits issued under Mercelina I-II published too late to object,” that prompted NA MPs Doran, Irion, and York to submit a request to Parliament that same day for an urgent meeting with the VROMI Minister.
The newspaper article revealed that the VROMI Ministry had published 82 construction permits since the first Mercelina-led cabinet was sworn in on May 3, 2024. A total of 64 of these permits, representing 78%, were published too late for affected residents to file an administrative appeal against their issuance.
After Veronica Jansen-Webster (Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM)) was sworn in as deputy Minister of VROMI on May 3, 2024, no building permits were published until Minister Plenipotentiary Patrice Gumbs returned to St. Maarten from The Hague and was appointed Minister of VROMI on June 25, 2024.
During the Council of Ministers’ press briefing on March 5, Gumbs addressed the delay in the publication of building permits and offered an apology to those affected. MP Ottley asked in Parliament, “And what are the consequences?” He argued that when the minister is not held accountable, that also has consequences.
Minister Gumbs, during his presentation at the start of the Parliament meeting, acknowledged that mistakes had been made: “After investigating the cause of the delay, we found it was due to internal administrative changes, staff shortages, and procedural inconsistencies. As a Minister, I take full responsibility.”
Gumbs emphasised that true accountability lies in action: “Mistakes happen. What matters is how they are addressed to prevent recurrence. We are committed to making the necessary structural and procedural reforms to build a more efficient and transparent permitting system for St. Maarten,” he said.
He provided a comprehensive breakdown of various permit categories. Residential developments include single-family homes and multi-unit housing, while commercial developments cover businesses such as hotels, office buildings, and shopping centres. Mixed-use developments combine residential and commercial spaces, and condo hotels function as hotels but sell units privately. The Ministry is considering reclassifying condo hotels as commercial properties to prevent zoning loopholes.
Additionally, Gumbs emphasised the legal requirements for civil works permits under Article 28A of the National Ordinance on Spatial Development. He stressed that written consent is required before major construction activities, such as excavation, demolition, and road building, to ensure proper spatial planning and environmental protection.
To enhance efficiency and transparency, Minister Gumbs announced several key initiatives. Permit publications will now include more detailed project classifications, specifying the number of floors, units, and other relevant information. Publications will also be made available on the Ministry’s website alongside their release in the National Gazette, increasing accessibility.
The Ministry is also actively recruiting additional permit evaluators, technicians, and administrative staff to accelerate the permit approval process. Furthermore, investments in a modern ticketing system, document scanning, and digital tracking mechanisms will streamline workflows and prevent bottlenecks.
MP Ludmila de Weever (Party for Progress) suggested that Minister Gumbs examine how building projects are advertised on the French side of the island. She explained that all projects, both large and small, are required to place a clearly visible sign displaying the permits and details related to the scope of work. She indicated that adopting this best practice in the VROMI Ministry would help prevent doubts about the legality of construction projects on the Dutch side.
However, a similar approach was already announced by Doran during his tenure as VROMI Minister. He informed the public that strict enforcement measures would be implemented to ensure compliance with the Building Ordinance and the conditions of issued building permits.
A press release from Doran read: “In accordance with Article 7 of the Building Ordinance, it is prohibited to construct or partially renovate a building without adhering to the conditions outlined in the Building Ordinance or Building Decree, without obtaining a building permit, or in violation of the conditions of an issued permit.”
He emphasised the importance of several key building permit conditions, saying that the building permit and approved drawings must be kept on-site at all times. Additionally, the building permit must be visibly posted at the construction site. Written notice must also be provided to the Inspection Department at least 48 hours before critical phases of construction such as concrete pouring.
Any violation of Article 7 would result in a fine of NAf. 500, he announced.
Although publicly announced, the enforcement was not carried out. “When are we going to start holding previous ministers responsible? When will you start taking them to court for the damage caused by their negligence?” PFP MP Raeyhon Peterson asked VROMI Minister Gumbs during the parliament meeting on Wednesday.
He stressed that regardless of government support for certain projects, the rule of law and principles of good governance must prevail. “It doesn’t matter whether the government supports a project or not; the law still needs to be followed,” he said, calling out the previous National Alliance administration for its mismanagement of key developments.
Peterson condemned the disregard for zoning regulations and policy advice, arguing that such actions have led to environmental damage and negatively impacted local communities. He accused previous ministers of overriding expert advice and approving projects without justification.
Raising concerns about ministerial interference, Peterson accused Ministers of pressuring civil servants to issue favourable advice on controversial projects. “Ministers cannot hide behind their department heads, especially when their decisions cause harm to the public,” he said, emphasising that accountability must rest with those making the final decisions.
“This isn’t rocket science. The hypocrisy is undeniable,” Peterson said. “People are waking up, and we will continue to hold those responsible for putting St. Maarten in these legal predicaments accountable. So, Minister, after all these investigations, what is the Council of Ministers going to do about it?”
