Welcome to BEST

April 2013 Bulletin

BEST (Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce) 


Charity Reg. # 858


BULLETIN - April 2013


Southlands: Turning Southlands into a viable public park is challenging in the current 


economic times and, unbelievably, it has been reported that illegal dumping is taking 


place on that beautiful site! A group of determined citizens are working to ensure the 


park will become a valuable public amenity.


Grand Atlantic: We are very pleased to report that the developer will no longer be 


able to use the site for unlicensed sand-sifting and rock-crushing operations.


Tucker’s Point: Serious concerns remain regarding the revamped planning 


applications and BEST will continue to monitor, research and present objections as and 


when necessary.


“No Thanks”: Greenrock and the Bermuda Marine Debris Taskforce initiated the “No 


Thanks” Campaign against one-use, plastic bags.  There has been lively debate in the 


media, and we encourage you to visit http://www.greenrock.org/ to look at the pros & 


cons of plastic-vs-paper, one-use-vs-reusable bags.  While you are on the site, sign the 


petition asking government to impose a small retail charge on one-use, plastic bags.


DOES/SWAC (Deep Ocean Energy System/Sea Water Air Conditioning: 


Representatives from BEST, along with other business and environmental reps, 


attended a presentation outlining an ambitious, renewable-energy initiative for Hamilton 


and the environs. Still in its early stages, BEST looks forward to receiving more details 


through a comprehensive EIA.


Protecting BEST’s good name: We are waiting for the transcript from a recent radio 


show on which it is reported that a former Cabinet Minister made disparaging remarks 


about BEST and its members.  We work hard to give BEST a good name and to keep it; 


damaging portrayals of BEST and its work won’t be tolerated.


Where does food come from? A second great opinion piece by our junior member 


was published in the Royal Gazette on April 23rd and can be found at http://


www.royalgazette.com/article/20130423/COMMENT/704239969


For more information on Agriculture in Bermuda visit http://www.best.org.bm/index.php?


option=com_content&view=article&id=267:the-role-of-agriculture-in-bermudasfuture&catid=25:papers-and-publications&Itemid=3


Last, but by no means, least: CONGRATULATIONS to Stuart Hayward on being 


awarded Best Community Activist 2013 in this year’s Best of Bermuda Awards.


We would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our friends and supporters for 


their encouragement and varied contributions. Donations to BEST can be made 


online through the BEST website www.best.org.bm or by direct deposit to our Bank of 


Butterfield account, number 20-006-060-625713-100.


BEST regards


Jennifer Flood


Communications Coordinator

Congratulation

Congratulations to Stuart Hayward - recipient of the English Speaking Union's 2013 Caver Cedar Chair Award, presentd to a philanthropist who has yet to be recognised for their community work in Bermuda.

SPICE HILL

BEST was alerted to the projected development of an arable area on Spice Hill by area residents. Extensive research into the planning process and the Minister's granting permission on appeal, led to the decision to initiate a Judicial Review.  This was not lightly entered into being a costly undertaking, requiring considerable legal expertise. However, in the interests of the Bermudian community and the need for Government Ministers to be fully accountable for their actions, it was the only recourse available. The full story can be found here.

 

 

Also see:

 

BEST media release: BEST contends Minister's appeal decision is flawed              7 December 2012

 

 

BEST media release:  BEST contends Minister's appeal decision is flawed                7 December 2012

 

February 2013 Bulletin

BEST (Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce)

 

Charity Reg. # 858

 

BULLETIN - February 2013

 

Grand Atlantic: Local residents have been subjected to additional noise from the use of heavy machinery, extra traffic as lorries loaded with gravel/sand visited the site, and fires being lit. BEST continues to watch and to consult with neighbours and the Department of Planning. Photos and more details at www.best.org.bm.

 

Environmental Authority: We are delighted that Stuart has accepted the invitation to Chair the Environmental Authority. This Board is tasked with responsibility for overseeing the Water Resources Act of 1971 and the Clean Air Act of 1991.

 

New Volunteer: BEST welcomes new volunteer Stephanie Bothello, who brings a wealth of experience in Environmental Research.

 

Did You Know? Planning Applications: Every week BEST reviews the list of Planning applications that appear in the newspaper.  After some preliminary research, a BEST volunteer reviews any of the planning applications that we feel need a closer look.   We are primarily interested in development applications that have zoning policies to be considered but we are learning about the many other policies that govern proposed development in Bermuda thereby enhancing our monitoring capabilities.  If you would like to learn more about the process, and perhaps even provide some assistance, please send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

We also provide guidance to any individuals or groups who are concerned with proposed development in their own neighbourhoods.  Note that applications for proposed development are advertised only once in The Royal Gazette (the Official Gazette for Government Notices) and indications from the Planning Department are that they are working to improve the likelihood that properties affected by a proposed development have an opportunity to represent their views

 

Walk the Walk: What a great day for a walk!  The 2013 ‘Argus Walks the Walk’ event was a huge success.  Participants are able to represent their charity of choice who benefit from the lion’s share of the registration fee. The BEST contingency did not go unnoticed: twelve people chose BEST as their preferred charity and that does not include the two dogs who, very happily, wore BEST T-shirts to show their solidarity! The 5K walk started bright and early at 8:15 am, with a warm-up and then we were off.  A pleasant breeze helped us to stay cool and halfway through there was a water stop that hydrated us and the dogs to go the remaining distance. We gave a BEST shout-out as we crossed the finish line and felt great for having a brisk walk, which invigorated us physically and mentally!   A big thank you to all those who chose us as their BEST charity!!

 

Earth Hour 2013, 8.30 pm Saturday 23 March Earth Hour is rapidly approaching and we urge everyone to be part of the solution.  There is more information available at http://www.facebook.com/greenrock?group_id=0).  Let’s support Greenrock again this year as they lead Earth Hour, Bermuda.  Visit the Earth Hour web site at www.earthhour.org

 

 

Many thanks to all our friends and supporters for their encouragement and varied contributions. Donations to BEST can be made online through the BEST website www.best.org.bm.

 

Wishing you a joyous Easter and the BEST kite flying ever!

 

Jennifer Flood

Communications Coordinator

 

www.best.org.bm

https://www.facebook.com/BEST.Bda

https://twitter.com/BESTBermuda

 

Comments and questions welcome… please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

2012 Winter Newsletter

2012 Winter Newsletter

Lost Opportunity -- 31st December, 2012

The end of the year has come and still there is no movement on the Park Hyatt site in St. George’s.  Further to the concerns expressed in our December 13^th press release (Media release Park Hyatt-Bazarian - Dec 13 2012 - corrected.docx), Mr. Carl Bazarian has failed once again to meet the terms of the development agreement and BEST is appealing to the new Government to terminate the agreement and so put us on the right footing as regards this lost opportunity.  Regaining control of one of our scarce and precious assets will mean that we won’t just let the fates lead us where they will.  We will begin a new year and a new era in our history by truly stepping-up to the responsibility of charting our own course in securing a development partnership that is more suitable to our small island home.

 

Mr. Bazarian has not shown the level of commitment to Bermuda that we would have expected and it is wholly unacceptable for such a treasure to be tied up once again in this type of gridlock.

 

What can happen right now is for the golf course to be reopened, with a new clubhouse if possible, so that St. Georgians can once again derive the benefit from an amenity that has been denied to them and other Bermudians over the past 5 years.

BEST responds to St George's mega-ship wharf announcement -- 14 December 2012

With reference to the article in today’s Royal Gazette titled “Mega ship wharf announced for St George’s” The Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) cautions against poorly-thought-out policies, particularly those involving major disruptions to the environment. In our position paper on this issue “Bermuda Shipping Channel Study: BEST Analysis and Response, published in the Royal Gazette on 20 December 2011 (see: http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20111220/COMMENT05/712209945), we stated the following:

 

While suggestions have been made to consider alternative docking locations (notably the proposal to build a cruise ship berth off the north shore in St George's), such proposals would also require large-scale dredging and construction with a similar price tag (an estimated $53m in the case of the proposed cruise ship berth off the north shore compared to $54.7m to $56.7m to widen Town Cut to 155m). For many of the same reasons discussed in the preceding sections, it would seem that exploring such avenues, at least in the near- to midterm, would be misguided.

 

Instead, the Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) strongly believes that efforts and expenditure to improve our tourism sector would be far better spent on less capital-intensive, smaller-scale, cost-effective initiatives aimed at:

 

· Increasing land-based visitor arrivals to better diffuse the impacts of tourism throughout the Island and to take advantage of their significantly higher expenditure per head

 

· Improving our transportation network to better service current cruise passengers (as well as land-based visitors and locals) and to diffuse their impacts across the Island

 

· Developing initiatives to increase per capita cruise ship passenger spending onshore

 

· Proactively approaching all cruise lines with ships that do meet current size restrictions, encouraging them to give Bermuda a prominent place on their itineraries, and working with them to ensure that Bermuda remains a profitable destination for both the cruise line and the Island alike.

 

Decisions made without adequate forethought and unsupported by an Environmental Impact Assessment are not in Bermuda’s best interest. And policy statements without solid evidence to support the decisions tend to be fraught with problems. We would urge policy-makers to look well, via the Environmental Impact Assessments they pledged to conduct, before making this kind of leap.

BEST media release" BEST challenges Minister's accusation -- 11 December 2012

Minister Marc Bean made the accusation on television last night (Dec 10) that BEST was somehow being "suspiciously" selective in speaking on the appeal of the Spice Hill Farm decision, but not commenting on what he referred to as a “Tucker’s Town” appeal decision he made. Let me state categorically that we have no idea what Tucker’s Town appeal he is referring to. Having no knowledge of the development, it would be impossible for BEST to comment, and the Minister is stretching truth to suggest that BEST could have chosen to comment on an appeal he privately decided upon.

The Minister knows full well that if BEST is not a party to an appeal, then we have no open channel to receive information about any appeal; neither that an appeal has been lodged, nor that it has been decided upon, nor whether it was upheld or denied. Unless the Minister makes a public statement, as he did in Minister Wayne Furbert’s Cyrus Trust appeal, or the public gets the information by other means, e.g. through the media as in the Spice Hill Farm appeal, BEST has no way to even know about an appeal decision, much less comment on it.

 

Let me state again, we have no knowledge of the Tucker’s Town appeal the Minister referred to. If the Minister wishes to fulfill what he should now feel obliged to do and make the appeal particulars and decision public, we will gladly evaluate and comment if it meets our criteria.

Otherwise he should do the honourable thing and retract the accusation.

BEST media release" BEST contends Minister's appeal decision is flawed -- 7 December 2012

The Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) today expressed grave concern about the appeal upheld my Environment Minister Marc Bean giving in-principle approval for “new 3-Storey Group Housing (Senior Housing or Orphanage or Children’s Home), Children’s Day Care, and Farm Equipment Garaging: Retroactive Approval of 2 Storage Sheds” as reported in December 3^rd edition of the Royal Gazette.

At the top of our concerns are the irregularities in the application that led to its being turned down by the Development Applications Board (DAB):

1. The application contained:

a) insufficient information to enable a proper assessment of the proposal,

b) insufficient information to determine traffic impacts and parking requirements,

c) insufficient information to determine adequacy of outdoor amenity area and secured play space provision for day care students and/or orphanage or children's home residents,

d) insufficient information to determine adequacy of water or sewer provisions.s

2. The proposed building exceeds the limits for a 'Residential-scale' project, as required by the Rural zone policies for floor space and building height.

3. The proposed hard surfaced area (floor space plus pavement) is almost double that allowed for development in a rural zone and the application is for a three-storeyed building where a two-storey maximum applies.

The DAB also commented specifically in its “Advice Note” that accompanied the refusal: “The Board wishes to express concern that the applicant has shown blatant disregard for the planning process in that the existing large storage sheds on the site have been constructed without obtaining planning or building permit approvals.”

BEST contends that this application was so flawed that it should not have been considered by the DAB, much less reached the Minister’s desk.

Additionally, BEST notes that the applicant was listed merely as Spice Hill Farm, an unidentifiable entity, when we are informed that an applicant needs to be identifiable as an individual, a Trust or a Company. Also, the location of the site was vaguely listed as “Vacant lot off Spice Hill Road”. As Spice Hill Road is over one mile long, such a vague description is unacceptable and any application advertised as such risks escaping the notice of neighbours. Even more vague is the intended use, either an orphanage, a children’s home or a senior’s residence. It would appear the applicants have no clear idea what they want to use the building for as long as they can get approval to build.

The Minister claims any of these uses rise to the level of “national interest”. We contend that a) none of these uses merit overthrowing the rules governing development on scarce rural-zoned land — especially when there are “brownfield” sites suitable for redevelopment; and  b) the closure of the Sunshine League was not deemed a “national interest” issue.

We also note that the appeal was launched on 6 January 2012, but was not decided until 20 November, ten months later and in the run-up to a general election. We understand that it is parliamentary convention that no major or controversial decision be made by a Cabinet Minister after parliament has been dissolved. This decision is definitely controversial and, by convention, the Minister would have suspended a decision until after the election.

By allowing the appeal, the Minister is not only rewarding non-compliance, he is also in effect condoning the breaking of the rules. This cannot be in the National Interest. Further, the Minister has overturned extensive reasoning by the Department of Planning, the Development Applications Board and the Independent Inspector, all of whom argued that the appeal should be denied.

BEST will be further reviewing the file and is exploring avenues for challenging this decision in the public interest. We have not ruled out invoking a Judicial Review.

Grand Atlantic Site

BEST as been hearing for months now from neighbours of the Grand Atlantic development that the site is being used by the developer as a staging and processing area for jobs he is doing elsewhere. In addition to the eyesore of the condos, the operations at the site have become a nuisance.

Back in December, neighbours captured a photo of one of the screening machines which they said were working from 8 am until dark, creating dust that spread over the neighbourhood.

Dec 12 2012 caption: bulldozer loading rubble onto screening machine

 

Neighbours contend that the developer has a huge fire approx. every 2 weeks. For example in January, neighbours took photos on two consecutive days of open burning of waste on the site generating a plume of black smoke. On January 28th burning of waste started around 9:30 in the morning and continued all through the day. Next day, January 29th, the fire was re-started first thing in the morning. On these two days most of the smoke was blown out to sea, but that's not always the case and residents are concerned that the soot on their roofs is unhealthy.

Jan 28 2013 caption: fire from burning waste at Grand Atlantic cliffs

Jan 28th 2013 caption: fire burning waste is taller than trees

 

BEST understands it is highly doubtful that the fires at the Grand Atlantic site were done with the requisite permissions. We have recommended to nearby residents that they should contact the government Department of Environmental Protection immediately when fires are started to verify if the site is permitted to be burning — and at no time should anything other than horticultural waste be burned in such an open fire.

 

A further problem for neighbours is the trucking of rubble and what they termed "construction spoil" onto and away from the site. On February 5th, for example, neibours observed "trucks coming and going all day, dumping spoil over the back on the cliff side behind the Rubis gas station."

 

5 feb 2013 caption: Lopes truck unloading "construction spoil" at the Grand Atlantic site

 

Residents believe the Department of Planning had instructed developer Mr. Gilbert Lopes to get rid of the piles of rubble on the site. They expressed surprise and dismay to see trucks bringing in more. The trucks, identified as GL Construction vehicles, have been delivering material all week — apparently from other contractors' job sites.

 

5 Feb 2013 caption: trucks hauling and dumping construction spoil non-stop

 

It is bad enough that the neighbourhood has been hurt by the ill-conceived condo development. It adds insult to injury that what appears to be a construction-processing outift is now operating in the midst of their residential neighbourhood. They have suffered from a series of violations at the site and are now calling for stricter enforcement of the Planning laws and regulations. BEST supports that call.