All but two members' terms on the Coastal Zone Management Commission have expired, which gives Gov. Charles W. Turnbull enormous say over development in the territory's coastal areas — including on such controversial projects as Malaysian developer Tan Kay Hock's plans for the derelict Yacht Haven Hotel and marina.
Most of the existing CZM board members — seven of the 12 now serving — were appointed by Gov. Alexander A. Farrelly, who left office in January 1995. This includes all three of the St. Thomas CZM members, who often have trouble getting a quorum because the five-member St. Thomas panel has two vacancies.
The 10 CZM members whose terms have expired continue to serve because successors either weren't named or failed to win Senate confirmation.
This was good news for many environmentalists, who viewed some of former Gov. Roy L. Schneider's appointees to the CZM Commission, especially in St. Thomas, as too pro- development.
The CZM board has 15 members, five from each island who make up their island's CZM Committee that approves or rejects specific development proposals in the coastal tier for their island.
The only island with a full complement of members is St. John, though three of its five members' terms expired in 1996.
St. Croix has four of five members; all of their terms have expired.
St. Thomas has three members — Chairman Albert Paiewonsky and members William Newbold Jr. and Austin Monsanto. Paiewonsky's term expired in 1995; Newbold's and Monsanto's expired in 1996.
Editor's note: For a full list of CZM members and their terms, see "Boards and Commission" in the Data section under Community.