December 31°, 2025



Mark Grimes

P.O. Box 306532

St. Thomas, V! 00803



Leia LaPlace



Territorial Planner



Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources

4611 Tutu Park Mall, Suite 300



Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, VI 00802



RE: Support for Sweetgrass Valley Properties LLC, in Pursuit of a Zoning Variance



Good Day:



Please accept this letter in support of Sweetgrass Valley Properties LLC and owner Todd Donohoo

in pursuit of a zoning variance for Estate Bakkero Parcel 1-68 and a portion of 1-61-4 to change the

use of the property from R-1 zoning to R-3 zoning. | encourage you and the Commissioner to move

this variance forward with your support so that critical hurricane recovery efforts may continue.



The upcoming hurricane recovery work slated for the next 5 to 10 years will require housing

resources beyond what is currently available in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The VI Government and

various consultants are estimating anywhere from 3000 to more than 4000 off-island workers

contributing to the construction projects from 2027 through 2030. Housing these workers will be

critical in keeping project costs reasonable and on schedule. Through the granting of this variance,

this proposed project by Sweetgrass Valley Properties LLC will contribute 450 units of housing to

help meet this need and lessen the impact of projects on the Virgin Islands’ already low housing

inventory.



| applaud the efforts of Sweetgrass Valley Properties to take on this important capacity building

project in a thoughtful way. | am specifically pleased to see on-site parking and on-site residential

resources that will help reduce the burden 450 new occupants may place on St. Thomas. | am also

glad that the Sweetgrass Team has addressed the Virgin Islands’ long-term housing shortage and

how this project will potentially be able to serve the community beyond hurricane recovery as

middle income workforce housing or condos.



For our Virgin Istand schools, hospitals, and infrastructure the recovery efforts will require the

cooperation of everyone in the Virgin Islands. It is my hope that DPNR and the people of St.

Thomas will support Sweetgrass Valley’s Workforce Housing project to provide our off-island

workers with clean, safe, and reliable housing to meet their needs during this critical time. |

support this approval of this Variance. For further comment, | can be reached at 207-891-6024 or



at mark.w.grimes@gmail.com



Thank yoy,