An eagle eye view of the Kenepa Gardens housing development project. Aerial photo by Fly4U SXM.
A quaint, beautiful and peaceful neighbourhood, fitted with underground infrastructure, well lit, and lined with palm trees. Harmoniously designed family homes and apartments, surrounded by greenery and more than enough space for pools and private parking. This is the vision that M&M Construction managing director Henri Brookson has for Kenepa Gardens.
The project, which Brookson started in 2019, is coming to life, with eight of its 29 lots having been sold, and the first couple already building their new home. The company will also be building beautiful apartments on five of its lots.
The Weekender visited St. Maarten’s newest housing development project to learn more, and to meet Brookson and the first couple to start building – Joseph and Giao Le Samuel.
Located in a pristine area of Dutch Cul de Sac, Kenepa Gardens is nestled behind the historic Emilio Wilson Park, running up a gentle slope adjacent to St. John’s Estate. The sense of place, including greenery and peacefulness, is something that Brookson says he would like to preserve.
In line with this, guidelines are set to reflect the quality of the neighbourhood envisioned. These include homeowners building street-facing natural stone walls, parking on their own property, and including ample space for greenery. Gardening is encouraged.
Buyers will be asked to submit preliminary drawings for approval, both for safety and for aesthetic reasons. “The last thing we want is ‘warehouse’ architecture,” Brookson offered, “We want to keep things nice for everyone.”
Ultimately, it will be beneficial to the buyers, in terms of the quality that they would enjoy, as well as maintaining a good resale value. “I think my goal is achieved when in the end, everybody sees that it was important to have certain guidelines which everyone should adhere to,” he explained, and that people would appreciate a good, honest product.
Lots are ready to be developed, with infrastructure provided, all underground. Water, electricity, and fibre optic cable from TelEm are included.
Lots alongside the St. John’s Estate development are relatively flat and easy to build on. Hillside lots are elevated, although not too steeply, and provide an excellent view of the Cul de Sac basin. The main road, lined with street lights, palm trees, and pedestrian walkway, is laid eight inches thick.
Kenepa Gardens will be a gated community with its own homeowner’s association (HOA), and equipped with security cameras and security guard.
The Samuels, on the market for a lot to build on, saw the Kenepa Gardens billboard posted along L. B. Scott Road next to Emilio Wilson Park, and decided to organise a visit for more information. After speaking to Brookson about this vision, they viewed the area and decided that Kenepa Gardens was perfect for them. The vision, location, and gently sloping land were some of the deciding factors.
It is a quiet area, with easy access to major supermarkets and other facilities. Families with children will appreciate being close to the school district, Jose Lake Ballpark, Emilio Wilson Park, and the neighbourhood’s dead-end street where kids can safely ride bikes or roller-skate.
In total, there are 29 lots, priced between US$140,000 and US$149,000. At a minimum of 880m2, they provide enough space to accommodate a beautiful family residence, garden and a pool.
Of these, 21 lots are meant for single family homes with one apartment. A one-level home can have a maximum footprint of 300 m2. This is 250m2 for two-level homes.
The remaining lots are meant for multiple homes. On five of them, M&M will construct apartment blocks consisting of four units each, divided over two floors. Each apartment will have three bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms. Each unit will have two parking spaces underground with extra visitor parking in front of the building.
Kenepa Gardens was made possible by landscaping architect Bruno Doedens from the Netherlands, ESLI Construction, and Studio Smile’s architect bureau.
If Kenepa Gardens sounds like what you have been looking for, call or WhatsApp Henri Brookson at +1 721 587 2678 to make an appointment.
