Pinel: a demolition in favor of the public

The beach restaurant on Pinel island, “The Key”, has been demolished. This long-awaited demolition is the culmination of several years of litigation. A recap: this restaurant, that was already illegal, built on further extensions by way of a first floor in 2008, without any permission. The establishment refused to comply, unlike its neighbors, and ignored the environmental requirements and the payment of a fee to the Nature Reserve that goes towards the management of the sites. After several attempts to find an amicable solution, the Conservatoire filed a judicial procedure against the establishment’s managing company, in July 2010, for illegal occupation and construction in the public domain. Following this procedure, on March 22nd, 2012, the Administrative Court of Saint-Martin sentenced the managing company to demolish this building. The conviction was upheld at the appeal on November 29th, 2012. As the managing company did not carry out the demolition within the deadline stipulated, the Conservatoire du Littoral was authorized, by two court sentences, to demolish it. And now, as the removal of building material comes to an end, it is time to move on to the retrieval project of this natural space that is going to increase the size of the public beach on Pinel and allow a wider audience to enjoy this beautiful area free of charge. The Reserve plans to plant sea grape trees, and build a shaded picnic area.