An explanation was finally given on the much maligned “flagpole project” at Cole Bay Hill (see related story). Motorists were initially enraged when they saw that a broad strip of greenery had been cleared on a hilltop behind the former Harold Jack snack bar, after all the damage to nature already done by Hurricane Irma.
In light of the widespread devastation and urgent need for relief aid, many considered the action a waste of valuable resources too. The public indignation only increased when a combined price tag was mentioned of well over US $150,000 for two huge St. Maarten flags, one there and one in Great Salt Pond.
However, the fact is that the old situation at the Harold Jack lookout point was far from ideal. People would share the relatively small parking lot with large tour buses and taxis turning off and onto the busy A.J.C. Brouwer Road.
Especially with several cruise ships in port, things could get pretty crowded and basically unsafe. The traffic situation itself won’t change, but creating a new lookout point that visitors access by foot at least takes them away from the vehicles, although a ramp will be required for wheelchairs.
The cost is also said to be considerably less than what was first mentioned, while local companies are reportedly acting as sponsors. That the new addition will be named after the property owner makes sense once the family made the land available.
What this matter again illustrates is that transparency and timely communication are important aspects of governing a country. By the same token, both sides in the current standoff between The Hague and Philipsburg on financial assistance from the Netherlands would do well to provide proper information about the conditions set and exactly how these differ from existing agreements in these areas.
