‘Over $22M needed for homestead infra’

The Department of Public Lands would need more than $22 million to fund infrastructure projects for its homestead program. Power, water, and sewer lines must first be installed for the planned homestead villages on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

Public Lands Secretary Marianne Teregeyo said the amount is based on cost estimates they obtained from the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. to install power, water, and sewer services.

The cost breakdown is stated in the letter she sent last year to leaders of the legislative delegations of Saipan and Northern Islands, Tinian and Aguiguan, and Rota.

The Koblerville Subdivision in As Gono and in I Deni on Saipan, West San Jose Subdivision and Kanadan Magpu Village Homestead on Tinian, and the Finafa Homestead Subdivision in Rota are the areas that DPL wants to develop.

“I wrote the Legislature last year, the chair[man] of each delegation, asking for funding. The quotations came from CUC and we have the amount sent to the Legislature,” said Teregeyo.

CUC’s cost estimates for Saipan is $7,702,113.87 ($1,093,611.27 for power, and $6,608,502.60 for water and sewer); Tinian’s West San Jose needs $923,209.49 for power and $4,149,246 for water, for a total of $5,072,455.49.

Katnadan Magpu’s installation for power and water would cost $759,757.48 and $3,682,000, respectively.

Tinian had the highest amount needed among the three islands, tallying $9,514,212.97.

Rota’s Finafa Homestead Subdivision’s cost estimates are $1,426,094.81 for power, $4,588,000 for water, and $6,014,094.81 for sewer.

DPL would provide additional estimates for the Dugi Homestead Subdivision once it is completed.

Teregeyo said they could start with the installation of three basic services—power, water, and sewer—once funding is available. Once CUC is done with these projects, they could finally offer the lots in these areas for the homestead lottery program.

“We plan to have the As Gono and I Deni homestead on Saipan to move forward, along with the other homestead sites reserved. The sewer line in As Gono is already connected, but we need to have water and power lines too,” said Teregeyo.

“The key here is to have infrastructure in place before we offer the lots for homestead lottery.”

She said DPL is constitutionally prohibited from using the funds they collect from land leases for infrastructure developments.

“DPL is constitutionally prohibited to use funds from land leases to pay for infrastructure. The [Marianas Public Lands Trust] challenged that in court.”

“The public perception is we make all the money. Right now, we’re going to make the request again to the Legislature since it is already budget season. We are also doing the same revocation on Rota and Tinian.”