Raising the Standards of Community Living – Those seeking prime, unspoilt real estate should look no further than Cooten Bay on Tortola’s North Shore.  The property in question sits on the edge of the Bay, offering majestic sea and landscape views that include Guana Island, Lambert Bay and Josiah’s Bay beach. Once a secret surfing ground and untouched until now, Cooten Bay’s beach front, with its luscious, gently rolling slopes and natural shade provided by an abundance of tall, mature trees lining the shore, is one of the unspoiled jewels of the islands.  Facing east, the land is assured almost constant breezes and cool evenings.  The sun shines bright on that side of the Island during the morning, and the afternoons, out of the direct glare of the blazing sun, are delightfully pleasant.

The current land owners plan to develop 18 to 25 residential lots into the Cooten Bay community, and using modern, environmentally friendly methods for the implementation of utilities, the land and its views will remain unspoiled. Interested parties will be please to know that the land has already been subdivided and the registered lots are available to view.  The natural beauty of the place hasn’t gone unnoticed, however, and with several lots sold or under offer, prospective residents are advised to hurry.

A parcel of beachfront land has been reserved for the development of a community area and centre providing recreational resources for residents of the Cooten Bay Development.  It is the intention of the land owner to develop the property at a level that will ensure private living for its residents with a high standard of community amenities.

High standards will be ensured from a residential perspective, too, with the establishment of a Home Owners’ Association.  To be put in place when the first 10 dwelling houses in the development are occupied, the responsibilities of the Association will include:

  1. preserving the Cooten Bay community as a private development
  2. providing a perpetuity for the care and maintenance of all roads and common areas owned, leased or under the control or supervision of the association
  3. establishing an Architectural Review Committee to approve all plans for any structure to be built in the Cooten Bay Development
  4. formulating rules and regulations for the use of all properties owned by and/or subject to the control, management and supervision of the association as well as to enforce for such regulations
  5. preserving the natural beauty of Cooten Bay and to create and maintain a high social and civic standard for the community

To assist the Association in adhering to its constitution, and of course the developer’s promise of a standard of living that could only be classed as luxurious, when purchasing the property owners will be expected to sign a number of covenants, not least of which states that the land is for residential purposes only.

The covenants also specify that construction of the dwelling must take place within three years of the attainment of the title and homes must be built at a value of no less that $250,000.00.

The dimensions and designs of any home to be erected must conform to the Association’s standards – another assurance that the development meets the highest standards of residential architecture in the BVI.  Homes can be built with a primary dwelling house along with a guest cottage.  Allowance is made for the leasing of the guest cottage; however, home owners must apply for a permit to rent the unit themselves.

Lines for utilities such as electricity, water, and sewer along with conduits for telephone and cable lines will be run underground to individual parcels. Access to the property is provided by a paved public road off the Ridge Road at Long Trench.  The community’s private road will be paved by its developers.  Access to Cooten Bay is minutes away from community areas such as East End, Fahie Hill, and Butu Mountain and just a 10 minute drive into the Territory’s capital of Road Town.

The Cooten Bay development, with its astoundingly beautiful setting and the developers’ focus on quality of life over quantity of houses, will undoubtedly be one the best private communities in the Virgin Islands.

Price Range:  US$100,000 – US$600,000