That a house was left uninhabitable in a Dutch Quarter fire (see Thursday newspaper) is obviously regrettable for the inhabitants. The blaze was sparked by a car igniting at the adjacent garage on the same property.
In this case the owner suffered the consequences and neighbours were not impacted, but the incident again raises questions about what may be seen as light industry activities including vehicle repair in residential districts.
St. Maarten has no Zoning Law, but economic and nuisance permits for such are tied to sites. There is no reason to doubt that was the case here.
Fact remains that many mechanics operate within neighbourhoods, at times causing considerable inconvenience regarding traffic, parking on side-walks, etc.
Nobody wants to suggest closing down existing lawful businesses that provide working people with their livelihood, but going forward government should carefully weigh whether a location is really appropriate for certain ventures.
It might even be worthwhile to consider specific areas for similar activities, for example in parts of Sucker Garden. Commercial districts are one thing, but so-called industrial zones with facilities and benefits also for manufacturing could even attract productive investments.
