The Team Gibbs majority presents a deliberation to facilitate the reconstruction of coastal areas at risk

For several weeks now, at the request of elected officials, the Community teams have been working on the deliberation entitled “Reconstruction or restoration of buildings damaged by cyclone Irma” with a view to implementing the future Risk Prevention Plan Natural (PPRn).

This deliberation will be proposed to the next territorial council, Thursday May 20, 2021, with the aim of anticipating the implementation of the PPRn 2021 and allowing Saint-Martin residents stuck in the reconstruction of their property by the regulations of the dark red zones of the PPRn in anticipation, to finally be able to initiate their reconstruction project.

By this deliberation, the Community wants to allow the administered owners of buildings affected by the cyclonic hazards, to rebuild or restore their property, provided that this is the subject of a building permit request.

On this specific point, the Lacroix-Desbouis report of 2020 recalls that the question of the regularization of buildings constructed without a permit does not fall under the PPRN but rather under town planning law (competence of the Community). The report therefore suggested removing this provision and allowing the reconstruction of destroyed or seriously damaged buildings, provided that the solidity of the building is improved. The State has given its agreement to take into account the proposals of the Lacroix report.

It is therefore necessary to modify local planning law, in order to allow the Community to issue permits to build for the reconstruction of destroyed buildings, without condition that these buildings have benefited from a building permit in the past or not.

Without waiting for the end of the work on the future PPRN, the deliberation which will be submitted to the Territorial Councilors, Thursday May 20, by Team Gibbs provides for this. The community is also considering setting up specific support for the people concerned.