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Definitely not all the news that's fit to
print - and definitely not on a daily basis. But, we'll try to update
frequently about things like road conditions and significant events
affecting the area - sometimes even gossip - maybe. Let us know if you
have anything to add. But, we retain full editorial discretion over
information on this page.
5 March 2008.
Developments:
-
False Caye: Approval by the Department of the Environment
has not yet been given because DOE required additional EIA Addendums on the
marine environment around the caye and potable water availability. (The EIA
for this project merely stated that water was available, but no wells were
dug to prove this assertion.) The proposed developers are Maya Island Resort
Properties, Ltd., a Belize corporation owned in part by Eugene Zabaneh, and
The Poe Companies, a US real estate development company based in Louisville,
Kentucky. If approved, the project will include
106 hotel rooms, 14
over-the-water 2-bedroom cabanas, 19 3-bedroom villas and 41 4-bedroom
villas. At capacity, the resort would house 950 people, including 75
employees. Resort amenities would include 2 swimming pools, spa,
helipad and manmade beach. False Caye is an overwash
mangrove caye at -6" sea level. Five feet of dredged fill will be
necessary to build the resort and will require the destruction of most of
the mangrove and other habitat on the island.
The False Caye EIA is available on-line at www.doe.gov.bz.
-
Placencia Resort:
Plexar Capital LLC (a Nevis
company) has asked for environmental approval for a 152 unit resort
in the Luba Hati area north of The Inn at Robert's Grove.
The proposed development would include:
A copy of the EIA for this project may be downloaded
from
http://www.doe.gov.bz/EIAs.html.
Status of DOE review of
this project is unknown.
-
Peninsula Club: Dredging in this project area had been
proceeding at a fierce pace before the most recent national election on 7
February 2008. However, the process by which this land was acquired
by Reagan International has been identified by the new government as
suspect, and a review of whether title was acquired legally has reportedly
begun. (This according to Placencia Village Council Brian Yearwood
at the most recent Placencia Village Council meeting on 5 March 2008.)
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was not required for the
development, ostensibly because of the public component of the project
which will provide lots at a reduced rate for Belizeans. The
Peninsula Club is a joint venture between Reagan International (principal,
Dennis Johnson) and Seaview Properties, Ltd. (principal, Diane Bulman) and
is located on the Lagoon roughly behind Chabil Mar Villas, Turtle Inn and
PBS. According to the Environmental Compliance Plan for the project,
the development will include:
- Subdivision of 114.58
acres of land into 197 lots comprising 161 public residential lots and
36 private residential lots
- Two open spaces,
parks, playgrounds and a football field
- Construction of a
9.43 acre full service marina with 50 slips (to accommodate 100 vessels)
- A canal network of
20.91 acres
- Construction of
approximately 2 miles of roads
- Excavation of 316,157
cubic yards of material and filling of approximately 66.44 acres of land
- Green reserve of
17.41 acres
- Shopping center
See
Trouble in Paradise, 7 November 2007 for additional background
information on this proposed development.
-
Cobia Farm at Lark and Bugle Cayes:
Placencia residents shouted a very
strong "no" to the proposal by Marine Farms Ltd. to locate a Cobia fish
farm at Lark and Bugle Cayes about 3 miles off the Placencia Village
coast.
The
developer listened and withdrew its proposal after a public consultation
on the proposed farm in Placencia Village.
Local organizations that opposed the
farm included the
Placencia Fishermen’s Cooperative, Placencia Village Council, the Belize
Tourism Industry Association – Placencia Chapter, Friends of Nature,
Placencia Tour Guide Association, Placencia Tour Operator’s Association,
St. John’s Primary School PTA, Placencia Peninsula Arts Association and
the Peninsula Citizens for Sustainable Development. An overflow crowd
packed the Placencia Village Community Center on Thursday, 24 January to
listen to the developer’s presentation about the farm, and ultimately, to
let the developer know that the fish farm is not welcome in Placencia at
Lark and Bugle Cayes. Reasons for local opposition included:
- Importance of the Lark Caye Range
for local tourism (fishing, snorkeling and kayaking – and the only area
to take snorkelers for a ˝ day trip or in bad weather) and as moorings
for local bareboat charters
- Impact of effluent from the farm on
coral and sea grass beds in the area – seagrass beds at Bugle Caye are
part of Seagrassnet, a global project that monitors seagrass health at
pristine sites around the world – and the number, size and age of coral
in the Lark Range are unique in the area
- Impact
of the fish farm on local owners of cayes in the area (none of whom were
contacted during the 5 years that studies of the area have been in
progress)
- Possible spread of diseases and
parasites from the caged fish to the area’s wild fish stock
-
Aquaworld development in Placencia Lagoon: This
development (about which not much is locally known) is owned by the Coye
(aka Coie) family. According to Brian Yearwood, Placencia Village
Council Chairman, this development has also been pinpointed by the new
government as possibly involving an illegal transfer of title. No
other information is available.
Sewage System: Plans for the Peninsula-wide sewage system have
been completed and we are told by the committee that has spearheaded this
project that the International Development Bank is interested in funding the
sewage system.
The Road: The
new government has pledged to complete the road, with tender for bids going
out this month. We'll see. |
