ST. JOHN — A brief meeting of the Coastal Zone Management Commission gave the green light on federal consistency determinations for two key projects on St. John.

Commissioners agreed with staff recommendations to grant federal consistency determination for the construction of a maintenance facility for the Department of Public Works in Estate Susannaberg.

Damaged existing structures on the site will be demolished, and in their place, a one-story building will be constructed that will comprise a lobby, restroom and shower facilities, as well as a mechanical room, pump room, and vehicle bays. A mezzanine floor will be used as a general-purpose workspace.

CZM approval for the project comes with several standard requirements, including guidelines for public announcements, dust mitigation, and the notification of the appropriate agencies if any cultural or historic resources are discovered on site.

“You're all set to begin and get this awesome project going for the island of St. John,” CZM committee chair Adnrew Penn said following the unanimous vote in favor.

Commissioners also voted unanimously to allow Lovango Island Holdings to modify their existing permit in order to install a photovoltaic electricity generating system on the property. According to Lovango owner Mark Snyder, “this has taken us years to put together, and it will allow us to reduce our diesel consumption by 70%.” He thanked commissioners for being able to fast track the decision on the initiative, citing potential impending policy changes at the federal level as a risk to the project. “The tax benefits are critical for us to be able to afford to do this, and the new administration has made it clear they may reduce or rescind these tax benefits, which is why we needed to have this discussion in December,” Mr. Snyder noted.

The new system will consist of several solar arrays plus a central battery storage area, and will increase the sustainability profile of the resort.