GREAT BAY--The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) has launched a tender for the development of a zoning plan for St. Maarten, reviving a project that began more than a decade ago but was never finalized or submitted to Parliament for ratification.
Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs announced that €350,000 has been secured through the country package arrangements with the Netherlands to complete the work, describing zoning as an essential tool for providing legal certainty, guiding development and strengthening the credibility of the country's permitting process.
The tender was officially launched on September 23, 2026, with interested parties given until Friday, October 30, 2026, to submit proposals.
Between 2011 and 2014, the Ministry implemented a zoning project that resulted in the development of 13 draft zoning plans covering St. Maarten. However, partly because of funding constraints, the plans were never finalized or presented to Parliament for ratification, leaving the country without the completed zoning framework envisioned under the original initiative.
To address the situation, VROMI approached the Netherlands' Task Force Wederopbouw (TWO) last year with a request to incorporate the project into the country package. The request resulted in the allocation of €350,000 to support completion of the zoning work.
Rather than beginning the process entirely from scratch, the Ministry intends to build on the 13 existing draft plans, reviewing and updating them to reflect present-day development needs and circumstances.
The Ministry noted that zoning plans are legally required to undergo review every five years. With approximately 12 years having passed since the original drafts were developed, the documents may no longer adequately reflect the country's current physical development, infrastructure requirements and planning realities.
During his statements at the Council of Ministers briefing on Wednesday, October 7, Minister Gumbs emphasized that zoning should not be viewed primarily as a restriction on development but as a mechanism for establishing clear rules and predictability for property owners, investors, developers and surrounding communities.
"Most importantly, I want the public to understand that zoning isn't about restricting. It's about giving legal certainty," Gumbs said.
"It means certainty that the parcel of land you bought to build your home can accommodate your designs. Certainty that any development, including high-rises, has enough supporting infrastructure. And certainty that the value of your home, your investment, is secured, because you can anticipate the development of your neighborhood. This project is important because it offers a clear vision for development and depoliticizes our processes, making them more credible, especially when it comes to permitting. Zoning is a tool, not an obstacle to our collective development."
The Minister's explanation places particular emphasis on the relationship between land-use planning, property rights and the infrastructure needed to support development. Establishing clear zoning rules is intended to help property owners understand what types of development are permitted on their land while providing greater predictability about the future development of surrounding areas.
The approach also addresses the importance of ensuring that larger developments, including high-rise buildings, are supported by adequate infrastructure rather than being considered solely on the basis of an individual development proposal.
Gumbs further highlighted the importance of reducing political influence over planning decisions by establishing a clearer framework for evaluating development and permitting applications.
The Ministry's objective is to establish a zoning framework that provides greater consistency in decision-making, strengthens confidence in the permitting process and offers a clearer long-term vision for the country's physical development.
With the tender now open, VROMI is inviting qualified interested parties to submit proposals for the assignment. Tender documents are available on the Government of St. Maarten's website.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, October 30, 2026.Proposals must be submitted to the Ministry through the following email addresses:
vromi-policy@sintmaartengov.org
raitza.narain@sintmaartengov.org
