Statia is developingHigher level of prosperity in a livable envi-ronmentIn the future, the population of St. Eustatius willenjoy a higher level of prosperity in a livable envi-ronment.This is the vision statement of St. Eustatius for thenext decade. To reach a higher level of prosperityfor the island and the people of Statla, economicgrowth is required. The tourist sector in particular isconsidered to offer opportunities to achieve this goal.An expanding economy will go in hand with popula-tion growth and development of, among others,touristic amenities and facilities. To be able to ac-commodate the growing population, additionalhomes will be built. Investments in infrastructurewill be necessary to cater to intensifying traffic. Tomaintain a sustainable development, environmentalmanagement will be expanded.

Why a strategic development plan?Statia offers many development possibilities, butgeographically it remains a small island. Thereforeit is of great importance to make well consideredplanning choices for the island's development. Thekey focus is to preserve existing qualities such asculture, nature, the rich heritage and authenticity.Statia strives for sustainable development, to makeit an attractive place to live, work and recreate, alsoin the future.This StrategiC Development Plan (SOP) gives an out-line of the envisioned development of Statia.

STRATEGIC VISIONSustainable development forStatiaSocial wellbeing as key to successStatia chooses to enhance the social wellbeing ofits inhabitants. Growth of prosperity is not its mainobjective, but a vehicle to achieve a higher level ofwellbeing. This requires that investments in Statia'seconomic development aim at a growth in qualityinstead of quantity and that new activities contributeSignificantly to enhance the quality of life on Statia.The level of social wellbeing should grow in propor-tion with the growth in prosperity for the Statians.Aiming at a growth in wellbeing consequently meansaiming at a socially strong Statia, with the ambitionsof the residents at its focal point: economicprogress, self-evolvement and social security.A Statia where there is a place for everyone andwhere the less fortunate also profit from growingwealth. This will apply to the present generation aswell as to future generations. This development willbe visible in investments in education, health care,employment and safety.

Authenticity and identity as point of depar-tureStatia has unique qualities, such as the Island'sauthentic and pure character and its cultural heritagesites. The island also has beautiful natural land-scapes, unique flora and fauna and excellent divingsites. Other qualities that give Statia its identity arethe local culture, the peacefulness and small scale.It is this mix of qualities and its own strong identitythat makes Statia one of a kind in the Windward Is-lands. Statia's development must be based on theseunique identifying qualities. These qualities must bestrengthened and protected and used to their fullpotential for the island's development now and In thefuture.A strong part of the Island's authenticity is its cul-ture. It is of great importance that Statia keeps itsidentity and character and resists any threats.

Making use of opportunitiesStatia chooses for a sustainable development strat-egy. This explicit choice distinguishes Statia in apositive manner and offers new opportunities for theeconomy, such as displaying the island as a sus-tainable travel destination that offers new sustain-able products and services. This will broaden andstrengthen its economy, which in turn will generatethe necessary income to enhance welfare.

To arrive at a higher level of prosperity in a betterliving environment, Statia will invest in the develop-ment of its inhabitants from a social and socio-eco-nomical perspective, based on Statia's own culturaland religious traditions, standards and values. Theemphasis is on facilitating the ambitions of the in-habitants: economic progress, self-evolvement andsocial security. Growth of the economy will go handin hand with social development and improved socialservices such as education and health care.

It starts v;;ith gooci edHJcat~o!f~A higher level of prosperity starts with good educa-tion, which opens up opportunities for a successfulentrance on the labor market. Education means selfactualization, acquiring social skills and knowledge.Education also contributes to the cultural identity andself-awareness and to the quality of life in general.All levels of education have to emit these aspects.Currently many Statians leave the island for highereducation or for work. To achieve a balanced eco-nomic growth, it is necessary to avoid this braindrain and to commit the present labor force to theisland. Therefore quality employment has to be cre-ated and the educational system has to be in linewith the demand on the labor market.

p, wcddng societvA healthy future for Statia requires a solid economi-cal basis to create employment for the inhabitants ofthe Island. The lack of sufficient job opportunitiescould cause a negative future prospect, possiblyleading to social problems and poverty. Upwardmobility on the labor market is therefore of greatimportance. New economical activities and employ-ment should in the first place benefit the island andits inhabitants. Private enterprises will be advocatedin order to stimulate the residents toward self-em-ployment.

f':Of.'1trCfYed ~oiGu[~ti<Gn gt"cv5'i;hEconomic growth is expected to generate an influxof new residents. Attention must be paid to preventintegration problems and segregation of populationgroups as a result of this influx. Also, this shouldnot lead to feelings of displacement and being out oftouch with one's familiar environment by the "Indig-enous" population. This can be prevented by control-ling the growth of the foreign labor force and keepingit in pace with the growth of the population and thelocal labor force. The population is expected to growwith 2,000 to around 5,500 inhabitants in 2030. Partof this growth will come from natural growth andpart from immigration.

liiea~th care ~-:O?' z~~Everyone has the right to proper health care. Healthcare must be accessible for all, physically as wellas finanCially. Improving the health care system onStatia is an important goal. This necessitates invest-ing in a new multi functional medical center, addingambulant care, home care and a center for youthand family. Important aspect of the health care poli-cy is prevention of social problems- such as teenagepregnancy, substance abuse, youthfcriminality, ect.10 Improve the level of health care, medical expertise

and know-how will be imported from abroad and thecurrent staff will receive relevant training in order toupgrade the quality of the service.

Lsvh1'0 -!"'J~Hori Stat~e;Improved living conditions and environment con-tribute to the extent in which people feel at homein their habitat as well as the peoples' soclo-eco-nomical progress. The Statians, irrespective of theirincome, must have access to quality housing and aproper living environment.Therefore, the Government, in cooperation withthe Housing Foundation, will invest in new (social)housing, an upgrading of the existing stock and in apleasant living environment. Private ownerscan be offered incentives, such as subsidies toimprove their homes. Impoverishment of neighbor-hoods must be prevented.

~~rpt{)~~sr~:gtDl~~"'h~lt~i';~);iJtent~;atAt present, the largest economic pillars of Statia areOil transshipment, tourism and the School of Medi-cine. Because of its unique heritage, beautiful townand landscapes, its excellent diving product, its ter-restrial flora and fauna and its strategic location inthe Caribbean, tourism has great economic potential.To attract tourists to Statia, a larger room capac-ity has to be created. A number of 250 - 300 hotelrooms is considered to be a minimum to be ableto effectively promote the Island on the market. Inaddition other hospitality facilities will be developed.Lower Town can accommodate part of the neededhotel rooms and will be developed as a tourist center.For now, Zeelandia and the strip located on the westside of the Road to White Wall are other areas, des-ignated for hotel development. Increase in tourismwill increase the demand for other amenitiessuch as welfare facilities, shops, restaurants, etc.and supply industry. Tourism thereby creates extraincome and will benefit the island economy. Next todeveloping the tourism product, a proper marketingof the island as tourist destination is a prerequisitefor a flourishing touristic sector.

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Apart from tourism, the School of Medicine hasthe ambition to grow. Also NuStar Terminals is ex-pected to expand, but this will not necessarily lead toa significant increase in employment due to furtherautomation. To be able to supply the home market(including the tourist market) with fresh produce, theSOPincludes an expansion of the agricultural sec-tor. For this purpose, approximately 15 hectares ofland have been reserved in this plan.Last but not least, the strategic position in theCaribean arch and duty free status, among otherfactors, contributed to the development of Statia asa trading center in the 18th century and attractedthe oil transshipment facility (NuStar) to the Islandin the present era. By further expanding the harborand the airport, the government expects to attractmore transshipment activities and related industries.

STRATEGIC VISION

Growth in the above mentioned sectors will increaseemployment by approximately 1,550 jobs. The totalincome of the island is expected to increase by ap-proximately 60%, thereby improving the prosperityof Statia.

Careful spatial planningExisting qualities as point of departureOne of the assets of the island is its green and blueimage, represented by the two National Parks onland and the National Marine Park that has some ofthe world's finest diving sites. Therefore, this Park isan important tourist attraction. Statia also boasts arich cultural and historic heritage. If made more vis-ible, this can also contribute to the attractiveness ofthe island. The expected development on the islandcan take place under the condition that the existing

impression of the harbour

Harbour

qualities are preserved and strengthened where pos-sible. This is the reason for choosing for a cautiousand careful development in order to prevent Statia'sassets from being negatively impacted.

Touristic development of Lower TownLower Town will be further developed as a touristarea, not by realizing large scale hotel accommoda-tion, but preferably by smaller hotels with a capacityof 30 to 70 rooms. Their design must suit the sur-roundings.Where possible the ruins of the old (merchant)buildings must be integrated in the new hotels andshops and other recreational facilities. This will visu-alize Statia's history. Near the port amenities willbe realized to attract yachting tourists to moor andland. Near the port a fish restaurant could be built toserve the catch of the day.

impression of the hotel accomodation

Hotels

The population will grow from the present 3,500inhabitants to approximately 5,500 inhabitants in2030. To house these new residents, 800 extrahomes must be built. These homes will for the larg-est part be incorporated into the existing residentialareas in and around Oranjestad . This to utilize theexisting infra structure efficiently. Subdivisions andconstruction activities outside the expanded townarea will be possible but limited and with low den-sity to preserve the green image.

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The obstacle-free zone of the airport will be extend-ed to comply with International regulations. Thisrequires relocation of the terminal building. Thearea east of Concordia is a suitable location. Thiswill offer the possibility to modernize the terminaland expand it with more facilities and also to planthe space surrounding the terminal in a proper way.Near the new terminal building space is availablefor limited office development and residential use•

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For sustainable horticulture, space will be reservednorth of the airport and near the present concentra-tion of schools. Sustainable horticulture will have tobe developed based on certain stringent conditions.Reasonsfor this are the scarcity of water on the is-land and risk of damage to coral reefs from use offertilizers and toxic agents, draining into the ocean.Free roaming cattle is a serious threat to the island'sterrestrial and marine biodiversity becauseof the effects on the soil and destruction of the floraThey also damage the old stone dry walls that werebuilt in the past to prevent erosion. Changing to acontrolled grazing system and modem professionalmanagement techniques is therefore advisable. Thecattle will be gathered in fenced fields. The east sideof The Quill is a suitable location for this. Replantingis also necessary in some areas to prevent erosionand damage to coral reefs as a result of the effect ofsedimentation after rainfall.

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How to implement the SOP?Implementing the SOP by a professionalorganizationSuccessful implementation of the SOP largely de-pends on the organization. This SOPoffers a frame-work for governmental decision making. Based onthe Plan, strategic decisions can be made to achievea well-thought about development on Statia.Furthermore, installing a professional organizationto stimulate, facilitate, check and maintain develop-ment is of great importance. The policies of thevarious governmental services and departmentsmust be harmonized. The executing organizationhas to connect to Statia's present organizationalstructure and also connect to the experience andthe mind-set of the Statians. They must recognizethemselves in the Plan and have faith in its successand ability to contribute to their prosperity and thatof the island. Another important aspect is that theprojects are structured and are implemented in astructured manner.

Cooperation with marketImplementation of the SOP is not just a governmentaffair, but also depends to a large extent on privateinitiatives, for example the development .of Lower Town and other areas. Together with themarket/developers, the government will work onimplementing the SOP.

Starting point for Statia's developmentFinally, this SOP is not a finish line, but a startingpoint for the island's devel~pment. ~hiS Plan ~oesnot contain an exhaustive list of projects but IS adynamic document outlining the direction for Statiato develop itself and functioning as a sounding boardfor new developments. To achieve the desired spatialquality, this SOP is elaborated in a Spatial Develop-ment Plan and in the land policy.

Formation processThe SOP is based on elaborate research. Prior tocomposing the SOP,a large number of stakeholdershave been interviewed. Among these were Stenapa,the Medical School, Secar, the Housing Foundation,GEBE,Steba, the airport, hotels and diving schools.Based on these interviews, a SWOT (Strengths,Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis hasbeen executed and a Note of Outlines and Choiceshas been produced, which investigated the develop-ment possibilities for Sint Eustatius and representedthem in three scenarios. In order to investigate thedevelopment options of Sint Eustatius an economicquick scan has been executed. The developmentpossibilities were presented to the community in aTown Hall Meeting, and separately, to a number ofthe aforementioned stakeholders.

The SDP was designed as an elaboration of the Noteof Outlines and Choices and the SWOT analysis. Theresult of the first Town Hall Meeting and discussionswith stakeholders and civil servants determined theproposed course for development. The Draft SOP hasbeen presented in a second Town Hall Meeting, fol-lowed by office consultations on March 16th.The comments delivered at the office hours and thewritten responses received between March 16th andApril 1st show that adjustments and alterations onthe SOPare needed for the SOPto function as acommunity-based foundation for a zoning-plan.The proposed adjustments and alterations are sum-marized in a Memorandum of Adjustments and con-nected with proposals for adjustments on the SOPmap.

Follow upThe proposal for the adjustments of the SOP will bepresented in a third Town Hall Meeting. The outcomeof this Town Hall Meeting will lead to a final SDP.Thefinal SOP is the base for the Spatial DevelopmentPlan. The planning is shown below.

Town Hall Meeting

Decision Be on Final

Strategic Development Plan

• Beginning of November 2010 Hearing on pre-draft

Spatial Development Plan

• November / December 2010 Public review draft Spatial

Development Plan

• 26 August 2010

• End of October 2010

Next Town Hall Meeting: August 2618.30 - 21.30location: Lions Den

InformationFor more information:www.ro-sinteustatius.nlprojectbureau.eux@gmail.com

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