Tamat Beach landowners, heirs reiterate their support for controlled development

Even with the announcement that the Blue Water Homes project will not be built at Tamat Beach in Chalan Piao due to probate issues, landowners and heirs of the nearby area maintain their support for “controlled” development anywhere on the island.

“We will continue to support controlled economic development so long as the development does not negatively impact our environment and adjacent landowners in such a way that the negatives outweigh the positives,” said Christopher Attao Concepcion, heir to Lot 458-NEW-4, said yesterday in an email response to Saipan Tribune.

Robert “Bob” Jones, Blue Water Homes LLC managing partner and Triple J Enterprises founder, made the official announcement at the Saipan Chamber of Commerce meeting on Wednesday, saying that one of the landowners had died and there is an ongoing probate.

Concepcion pointed out that his family, members of the Tamat-Cabrera clan that owns land in the area where the $30-million affordable housing project was supposed to be built, were “not completely against the project.”

“We just had major concerns regarding the size of the building itself and all the negative effects it would have had on our neighborhood and the surrounding environment,” he said.

Blue Water Homes, the second affordable housing project to avail of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program administered by the Northern Marianas Housing Corp., involves the construction of 80 two-, three-, and four-bedroom units in a 98-foot building and originally planned to be built south of Chalan Kanoa Beach Club.

Jones said they are looking at three alternate sites that he is not ready yet to disclose.

“While I am pleased to see that Mr. Jones has decided to look at alternative sites for his project, my one wish is that he finds a suitable location that is adequate for his needs,” said John White, owner of Lot 458-NEW-7.

According to White, his family’s main concern was not having “sufficient space” available for social activities required for an 80-unit housing project.

“Putting that large a structure on three house lots was just too cramped for any healthy social activities, not to mention the adverse environmental impact,” said White.

Concepcion said that if the project developer is “serious about helping out our economy,” then Blue Water Homes should be built in an area “more conducive to the size of this project.”

“Tamat Beach is not that area. We wish them luck in all their future endeavors,” he added.

White also urged the community to “plan carefully” for economic development, “no matter where it is located on Saipan.”