Virgin Islands planning agency outlines first-year actions, staffing and funding needs to implement new comprehensive land and water use plan

The Department of Planning and Natural Resources told the Senate Committee on Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure and Planning on May 29 that it has moved from adoption to implementation of the territory's comprehensive land and water use plan adopted in December 2024.

Commissioner Jean Pierre Oriole said DPNR and territorial planners have built an implementation matrix, identified internal priority actions and mapped responsibilities that will require cooperation from agencies including the Department of Public Works, the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority and the Waste Management Authority. "The comprehensive land and water use plan was adopted just 5 months ago in December of 2024," Oriole said in his opening testimony.

Why it matters: The plan sets island-scale policy for zoning, coastal management, conservation and infrastructure that affects housing, transportation and resilience investments across the territory. Oriole told senators that implementation requires both grant funding and new staff capacity; without those the agency's 10‑year methodical timetable will be difficult to sustain.

Key elements and near-term work: DPNR is finishing several contracts to support implementation. The department is finalizing legal services to support zoning and code amendments (title 29, chapter 3) and is updating Coastal Zone Management and earth‑change application forms. Oriole said the department is "finalizing a contract for an external counsel to provide support to the division of comprehensive and coastal zone planning for zoning code amendments," and that the division will work on changes to definitions, the table of permitted uses and administration and enforcement sections.

Territorial planner Leah Laplace Matthew told senators the department intends to "dust off" the 2014 zoning and subdivision code assessment and begin code revisions as a first‑year priority. She said consultants in 2014 proposed more generalized categories for the table of permitted uses to reduce rezonings and that DPNR intends to revisit those proposals. "Right now it's worded very, very specific," Laplace Matthew said. "The trend elsewhere is to keep it generalized."

Funding and staffing risks: Oriole warned the committee that cuts at the federal level could shrink planning grants. He cited recent changes in federal priorities that affect FEMA BRIC and NOAA planning grants, and said DPNR is seeking CDBG‑MIT funds managed by the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority for planning and staff support. He said the department expects the first‑year budget for additional DPNR staff (project manager/implementation coordinator and GIS support) to be roughly $250,000–$300,000 annually and that some work will be contracted while other roles will need to be filled as ongoing staff positions.

Public engagement and enforcement: Senators pressed the department about keeping the public engaged and about enforcement. Oriole and Laplace Matthew said public outreach was intensive during plan development and will be repeated for code or rule changes. The department also acknowledged current enforcement limits: for example, agricultural uses currently allowed in residential zones have produced nuisance complaints (chicken coops and other commercial‑scale activity in neighborhoods), and the department said it will seek clearer definitions and stronger penalties in code updates. "If we're going to be effective, we have to have some teeth behind what we put in writing," Oriole said, noting a current maximum penalty of $75 is insufficient for many violations.

Coordination with other agencies: Oriole described ongoing coordination with the Department of Public Works on watershed and transportation planning (including contributions to a 2050 transportation master plan) and with VIHFA on aligning housing priorities. He suggested zoning changes that allow taller, denser housing in town centers could lower per‑unit costs for affordable housing, pointing to existing five‑story examples in historic districts as precedent for targeted height exceptions.

Next steps and timeline: DPNR said it aims to finalize the legal contract for zoning code updates during the summer and pursue initial code amendments in the first year after counsel is onboard. The implementation matrix sets a goal of 10 years for full execution of the plan but the department identified the pace as contingent on securing staff, contract support and grant funding.

Ending note: Committee members urged the department to return within months to report progress, and several senators flagged the legislature's role in moving statutory or funding items that the department cannot accomplish alone.