October 31, 2008: The Bermuda Sun
October 24, 2008: The Royal Gazette
Groups urge caution over BAA ten-storey block of condos
by Clare O’Connor
|
|
||
|
|
Bermuda’s two leading environmental preservation groups this week called on Government to exercise caution before approving a new ten-storey block of condos on the outskirts of Hamilton.
Both the Bermuda National Trust and Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) have voiced concern on the proximity of the large condo complex to the rapidly expanding City.
The development, proposed for the Bermuda Athletic Association (BAA) property, was submitted to the Department of Planning in April but has yet to receive final planning approval.
BAA president John Doran told the Mid-Ocean News in May that the club is leasing out the land for the condominium block in order to pay for a new gymnasium, in addition to the new artificial pitch currently in the works. The condo complex, which will comprise 46 one-bed mid-price units, would add 53,442 square feet of residential buildings to the BAA site ¿ a scale that has caused the Bermuda National Trust some concern. While not necessarily opposed to high-rise buildings in principle, the Trust believes the negative impact of such a large development should be fully assessed before any permission is granted.
“The Bermuda National Trust is not blindly opposed to going higher within the City and surrounding area, and fully understands the potential benefits this could have,” explained spokesperson Dorcas Roberts, the organisation’s director of preservation.
“Nevertheless, we are also acutely aware of the negative impacts such development could have on sensitive areas, and believe that a conscious effort is needed to preserve historic and culturally significant areas, especially for those adjacent to ‘high-rise’ development.”
Ms Roberts added that, while the ten-storey development falls outside Hamilton’s city limits, the sheer proximity of the condos to the built-up areas of Par-la-Ville and Serpentine Roads merits a closer look.
The National Trust believes the BAA ¿ and, indeed, any party submitting a planning proposal on such a large scale ¿ should be required to complete an environmental assessment, ensuring the development will cause no damage to the island.
“While this particular application is just outside the City limits and falls under the jurisdiction of the wider Bermuda Plan, we do feel that it is important that the application be assessed to ensure that it will not have a damaging impact on the amenity and surrounding environment of the area,” she said.
“In addition, the Bermuda National Trust believes that for all major development proposals an Environmental Impact Statement should be required to ensure that the scale, density and design of a development will not have a detrimental impact on the natural, human and built environments.”
BEST chair Stuart Hayward agreed that damage to the environment must be considered before moving ahead with further development.
“As the City and the island become more dense, it is even more important to maintain areas of green and open space,” the environmentalist said.
“Bermuda has maintained an image that has won the notice and admiration of our visitors and competitors. That image was maintained through tight planning controls that were strictly enforced. Recent enforcement lapses and ad hoc overturning of planning policies and decisions has fostered a frontier mentality where developers push harder and harder against regulations. The result is a Bermuda that is losing its uniqueness and charm, and increasingly resembles run-of-the-mill destinations anywhere else in the world.”
Ms Roberts also sees Bermuda’s charm as being compromised by the speed of development in Hamilton ¿ particularly because the City’s historically significant buildings are not being afforded adequate protection. The only ‘listed’ building currently within the City limits is the Anglican Cathedral on Church Street; City Hall, Perot Post Office, and other well-known historical buildings have not been listed, despite their age and significance.
“The Bermuda National Trust’s principal concern with regards development in the City is the preservation of the City’s historic areas and building,” said Ms Roberts.
“We believe that there is currently a lack of effective protection offered to the city’s historical and architecturally significant buildings.”
October 24, 2008: The Royal Gazette
Buy Back Bermuda campaign hits jackpot with Vesey Nature Reserve
by Lindsay Kelly
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
THE Buy Back Bermuda campaign has hit the jackpot with the acquisition of the Vesey Nature Reserve, a 7.5-acre property in Southampton.
The acquisition, the largest land grab to date for the campaign, was donated by Sharon Vesey and extends from the verges of Evans Pond in Southampton over the ridgeline of Skroggins Hill to the shoreline of the Little Sound.
It borders the Government-owned Evans Bay Nature Reserve and is adjacent to the railway trail.
The goal of the Buy Back Bermuda campaign, a joint initiative by the Bermuda Audubon Society and the Bermuda National Trust, is “to purchase and safeguard precious open space” in Bermuda.
According to Bermuda National Trust Director Jennifer Gray, the donation by Mrs. Vesey is believed to be “the third largest gift of land from an individual or family in Bermuda’s history in terms of acreage”.
“Thanks to the tremendous generosity of Sharon, a piece of Bermuda’s natural heritage will be saved in perpetuity for the enjoyment of all,” said Ms Gray.
“It is a challenge to secure prized open space in Bermuda but to have the means to restore these spaces, now that the land has been gifted, is an opportunity that adds great value for everyone. Sharon Vesey is a national hero.”
Since the group didn’t have to use up their coiffeurs to purchase the property, to be named the Vesey Nature Reserve, Ms Gray says they can utilise the funds to restore the area for use by the public.
“Now we are able to realise a larger vision for this property,” she explained.
“This land is almost impenetrable now and will need restoration. With the funds we can control invasive species, make fitting habitats for wildlife, develop walking trails and resting spots and create interpretive signs for people to enjoy.”
This is the second property acquisition for the campaign, the first being the purchase of Somerset Long Bay East Nature Reserve in 2006, which consisted of more than three acres of land. While the collaborative group hasn’t yet set its sites on the next project, they have been inundated with calls from people to look into other properties around the island.
“Our movement is at the request of and support by the community,” Ms Gray said. “Their enthusiasm keeps us going.”
The momentum has come from all corners of the community ¿ Government, corporations, individuals and a group the campaigners have found surprising: children.
“The youth in Bermuda have come forward entirely on their own without any solicitation from us,” she said.
“They have been holding trash-a-thon fundraisers and instead of gifts at birthday parties, they have been asking for donations to Buy Back Bermuda. It’s very impressive. It gives me hope for the next generation.”
October 24, 2008: The Royal Gazette
Most people recognise the need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, both in terms of cutting our electricity bills and in saving the planet.
For the consumer however, the biggest question is ‘How much will it cost?’ Any move to renewable energy sources would need to be justified to the general public by the potential cost savings in their pocket.
Tomorrow, two international consultants to the Department of Energy will explain what Bermuda needs to do to ensure that the move to renewables and greater energy efficiency is as smooth and appealing to residents as possible.
Sharon Pratt, executive vice-president of US consultancy BI Solutions, joins Dr. John Byrne, director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy (CEEP), at Government’s final Town Hall Meeting on the National Energy Policy Initiative.
The public consultation meeting will focus on the practical implementation of solutions to the Island’s energy crisis, with discussion on regulatory issues, market structure licensing, pricing regulations, access and interconnection, consumer protection and the regulatory authority.
Ms Pratt said: “We will talk about some of the regulatory policy options to reach the goal of sustainable energy. I can share with Bermudians how regulations can work, how Government can put procedures in place to protect the consumer and to provide guidance to energy companies in order to establish a clear playing field.”
Ms Pratt is a former Mayor of Washington D.C., where she provided leadership to the departments of energy, transportation and the environment, as well as the Public Service Commission and the Office of Peoples’ Counsel. She is also a former vice president of public policy with PEPCO (Potomac Electric Power Company).
She said: “I can bring the insight of what kind of structures work and how you can make sure you get to your objectives.
“The Government has to create the regulatory structure and a policy on metering, to allow people to know their good deeds will be rewarded. They need to know there are financial incentives.
“People always want someone to make sure the pricing is fair, and secondly, if I’m a consumer and make my home more energy efficient, will I get to see the results of that on my bill?
“People also want to know how they can get access to the transmission system, and if that process is honest and fair.”
Ms Pratt said: “Bermuda has the second-highest electricity prices in the world and on top of that, you’re in the eye of the storm in terms of climate change, with rising sea levels. Therefore, you have compelling reasons to look at this.
“The great challenge Bermuda has is your dependency on foreign fuel and the fact that you don’t have a large population which can negotiate better terms for that fuel.
“What you do have however, is a unique opportunity with your capacity for solar power and the benefits of wind and the ocean. You are uniquely positioned to capture the benefits of renewables.
“And with the second-largest electricity rates in the world, you have greater financial incentives to move towards them.
“You could raise the bar for the entire world,” said Ms Pratt. “You have the financial incentives, environmental incentives, and the natural resources to move to renewables. It’s both a challenge and an enormous opportunity here.”
October 24, 2008: The Royal Gazette
More turtles have been killed by boaters in the past two months than in the whole of last year.
Now Marine Police and conservationists are urging boat users to slow down and take extra care in areas close to shore where turtles feed in the vicinity of seagrass beds.
Boaters are reminded that the speed limit within 100 yards of shore is five knots with no wake, although this is relaxed in some areas such as busy Hamilton Harbour and Ferry Reach.
Patrick Talbot, head aquarist at Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ), said it was vital boat operators obeyed marine rules and regulations. He also urged people to avoid dropping trash and rope, fishing line or netting in the water, as turtle deaths due to entanglements are also on the rise.
“We don’t know whether this is due to more boat users on the water or a higher turtle population, but this is not a good trend,” said Mr. Talbot.
“From August 2007 to August 2008 we had six deaths from boat collisions and four due to entanglements. Whereas since August 2008 we’ve had five turtles who have been hit by boats and three entanglements. The results are eye-opening.”
On Sunday, Marine Police recovered a dead turtle floating near Darrell’s Island. In the previous fortnight another two turtles were found. Police officers found a hybrid turtle in the shipping channel off the North Shore, while a smaller green turtle washed up on a beach at Spanish Point.
Mr. Talbot said: “The hybrid had a hole punched into its shell, so the force of the impact must have been quite great in order to put a hole in a shell of an animal almost three feet long.
“The turtle at Spanish Point was fairly small and so we think it was quite young. It was still foaming at the mouth – a sign it had just been hit by a boat, but it died soon after we got it.”
He said: “The other two turtles were found over a month ago.”
Marine Police have reported most boat collisions in the Paradise Lakes area and that the majority of turtles found have propeller slashes on their shells.
A Police spokesman said: “All boat users are asked to go slow, keep a sharp lookout for any semi-submerged turtles and avoid getting too close to these sea creatures wherever possible.”
Mr. Talbot, who manages the wildlife rehabilitation centre at BAMZ, said those turtles hit by boats suffer a painful death.
“These animals tend not to survive. They have entrails hanging out and are in a lot of pain,” he said.
“We do what we can for them but mainly when they get hit by a boat, there’s not much chance of survival.
“The injuries tend to be split shells but we’ve also had decapitations and flippers taken off. Mainly though, it’s the shell that gets hit first because that’s the highest point in the water.”
Mr. Talbot said: “It’s frustrating when a turtle is brought to us like this. They’re a good size so it’s very hard to miss these animals.
“These days boats are propelled by engines at high speeds and turtles are found close to shore, so this leads us to believe that many people are moving faster than they should in these areas, and are in places where they shouldn’t be.
“Within distance of shore, boats should be moving slowly enough that if a turtle pops its head up there is enough time for it to avoid the boat, or dive out of the way.
“I would just ask people to be mindful and to look out for areas turtles are known to frequent. Please obey the traffic laws, and hopefully we can reduce the number of collisions we are getting. In our opinion one collision is one too many.”
n Anyone finding a dead or injured turtle should take it to the staff at BAMZ. Contact BAMZ at: 293 2727.
October 20, 2008: The Royal Gazette
Adults have had their chance with Bermuda’s environment and now the Islands young people need to lead the way.
That’s according to 15-year-old Caitlin O’Doherty, chair of the Bermuda Association of Eco-Clubs (BASE) and founder of her eco-club at her school the Bermuda High School for Girls.
The youngest member on BEST Bermuda Environment and Sustainability Taskforce steering committee by at least 20 years, she was encouraged by environmentalist Stuart Hayward to speak up for young people.That eventually turned into BASE, which started in November 2007 and hopes to encourage the youth to be environmental leaders through support, co-ordination and monitoring of active eco-clubs.
According to Caitlin, the problem is young people are continually preached to, but are not given the practical, hands-on small steps they could do to help the Island and the world’s environment.
She said: “I think if no one teaches the youth and says this is the type of thing you should do, they won’t know. The only way to create a new environmentally aware generation is to show them what they need to do and educate them.
“And the only way you are going to improve the environment conscience is teaching them how to be environmentally friend and why.
Rather than preaching to students at schools, the only way I got the message was going out there to save the toads and to plant trees. It’s more effective if you are part of the message rather than just listening to it.
“A lot of people complain that the youth go off and do whatever they want, but if they can get involved in something that is theirs, it’s different.
“They need to because it’s our future and the adults – they have had their chance.”
One way BASE is trying to reach out to these students and teachers is by offering meetings such as the Eco-Fest on Saturday.
Held on the Waterville grounds of the Bermuda National Trust, various organisations and schools showcased the work they have been doing.
It brought Keep Bermuda Beautiful, Clearwater Middle School, Somerset Primary, Works and Engineering, the Audubon Society, Bermuda Zoological Society, the National Trust and BASE out in force.
Caitlin said more than 100 people attended throughout the afternoon and the group was able to recruit more minds to the BASEproject.
And she hopes these minds will also help her motivate the Bermuda High School Eco-Club which she started almost three years ago.
After primary and middle school years at BHS where, Caitlin said, they had a chance to be environmentally involved, the senior school provided little in that vein.
That’s when she decided to take matters into her own hands and start the Eco-Club, which then turned a hallway at the school into a recycling hall.
Here students and teachers could recycle everything from the regular cans and tins to old egg cartons and print cartridges, which would then be used by the art department.
However, after the initial excitement, Caitlin, said the club hit a bit of a rut and struggled to come-up with new ideas or a way to move forward.
She now hopes with links formed through BASE, BHS’s and other Eco-Clubs on the Island will find a place to share what they are doing and where they are going.
“We have a recycling corridor printing cartridges, six pack rings, egg cartons among the regular cans, tin, etc. We could share our resources with the other clubs,” she added.
“I think a lot of them are on their own and ours was even going through a lull. Now, nobody says my name anymore; they call me Eco. I am proud of it because I have worked hard for it.
“I have to become more of a leader because it’s my school. I got the award (The David Wingate award from the National Trust) and that encouraged me more.
“But the key, and what I am working on, is getting the other schools involved and helping others.
“BASE idea is not only to promote the environment and sustainability in schools, but also to empower students and show them it’s not just up to the teachers and adults to say what’s right in the community.
“The environment is hugely important and I think the youth all see that when they find their climbing trees are no longer there.
“Since I had the opportunity to empower myself I think it’s important for other students to feel that too; whether it’s running the clubs themselves or coming to meetings.”
Anyone interested in starting their own club or linking with those on the Island and want to contact BASE should e-mail Caitlin at: basebda@gmail.com.
October 6, 2008: The Royal Gazette
A 7.5 acre “virgin” plot has been donated to the Buy Back Bermuda campaign, which has lauded it as one of the largest gifts of land ever made to the Island.
Sharon Vesey officially handed over the untouched woodland site known as Skroggins Hill, in Southampton, on Friday and it will now be turned into the Vesey Nature Reserve over the next two years.
Ms Vesey told those gathered: “This land is donated to Buy Back Bermuda to be a nature reserve in perpetuity.
“We must all do what we can to preserve what remains of Bermuda’s open space for its biodiversity and so that families have places where they can enjoy walking, exploring and discovering together.”
Environment Minister El James and his permanent secretary Kevin Monkman attended the formal handing over of the deeds and a thank you gift of some rare endemic plants was given to Ms Vesey and her mother.
Former Premier and Buy Back Bermuda (BBB) spokesman David Saul said: “It is truly a most generous donation of property and one that will be no doubt become a popular walking spot in due course.”
The Buy Back Bermuda campaign, a collaboration between Bermuda National Trust and the Audubon Society, began campaigning ten months ago to buy the plot and another green space: a 3.5 acre site near Shelly Bay.
The Skroggins Hill plot, which borders the Government-owned Evans Bay Nature Reserve and is adjacent to the railway trail, came up for sale some time ago and BBB wanted to save it from development.
Dr. Saul said: “We set ourselves a target of $2.5 million to purchase the two properties in order to eventually restore both to parkland status, remove invasive species, plant endemics like cedars, put up fencing and install pathways and signage for visitors.
“We set out to make an offer for the land. Then Ms Vesey came up with this fantastic surprise. Instead of selling the huge property — which is almost a fifth of a mile deep — to Buy Back Bermuda, Ms Vesey simply gave the property outright. We were overwhelmed at her generosity.”
He said he could only think of two larger gifts of land to the country — the 20 acre Locust Farm site from the Gibbons Family to the National Trust and an eight acre plot near Coral Beach from Freda Chappel to the Audubon Society.
Bermuda National Trust director Jennifer Gray said: “It is a challenge to secure prized open space in Bermuda but to have the means to restore these spaces, now that the land has been gifted, is an opportunity that adds great value for everyone.
“By tackling the daunting issue of invasive species and making available fitting habitats for wildlife and walking trails, resting spots and interpretive signs for people, we can enhance the quality of the reserve and the experience for its visitors.
“For Buy Back Bermuda this gift is truly the finest icing on the cake and everyone gets to benefit.
“Sharon Vesey is a national hero and we hope that the message she sends through this gift is heard and appreciated by others.”
Funds are still being raised to pay for the restoration and maintenance of the land and to buy Eve’s Pond at Shelly Bay.
Donations can be made to Buy Back Bermuda, PO Box 61, Hamilton HMBX.
October 6, 2008: The Royal Gazette
You wouldn’t be able to see it because it would be anchored to the bottom of the sea — but an underwater wave farm could be just the thing to stop your energy bill soaring through the roof.
The project, spearheaded by two Bermudian environmentalists, involves installing dozens of pumps on the seabed to capture the power of the ocean and turn it into electricity.
Such an initiative — one of a number being considered for Bermuda’s long-term energy future — would produce power at an affordable price, with none of the environmental side-effects of oil.
It would take up the size of two football pitches but according to the people behind it wouldn’t be visible from the shore and would be so quiet you wouldn’t know it was there.
Explaining the thinking behind Triton Renewable Energy’s plan, director Jeff Manson told The Royal Gazette: “Bermuda is a very small island and we are constrained by limited resources.
“We are fully aware of the importance and significance of sustainability and carbon emissions.
“Seven years ago, people were not interested here. But a lot of factors have come into play — the price of oil, global warming and carbon footprints — which have all helped to change people’s attitudes.
“We hear about solar and wind energy, but we thought being surrounded by abundant natural resources we should look offshore.”
Triton says wave energy is two or three times more efficient than wind, and four to six times greater than the sun
But by comparison it is hardly used, so Triton’s development has taken several years of hard work by Mr. Manson and Tim Hasselbring.
The pair’s firm has now teamed up with Isle of Man-based Renewable Energy Holdings, which has been involved in developing a similar project in Australia.
Renewable Energy Holdings founder and CEO Mike Proffitt said climate change was the spark that started his company, but that an increasingly important dimension was the rising cost of importing fossil fuel.
“The world has a duty to make primary energy sources available,” said Mr. Proffitt.
“For regular people, the increase on their electricity bill is just simply not sustainable.”
Director Shane Bush added: “We have teamed up with Triton because they can bring all the local expertise to make this project work.”
Under Triton’s project, so-called CETO pumps — wave energy conversion devices — are anchored to the seabed in approximately 30 metres of water.
Each has a buoy which moves with the waves and pumps pressurised seawater along pipes to an onshore facility, which converts the pressurised water into electricity. The water is then returned to the sea.
The CETO units would be constructed of concrete, steel, plastic and rubber, none of which are said to be harmful to the marine environment over time.
Triton is now beginning a consultation process, the first step in the Environmental Impact Assessment process.
Asked about the likelihood of Bermuda adopting Triton’s project, Department of Energy consultant Allan Bean said: “The advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
“We can’t tell you what technology to select — certainly this one is one of the more likely to be selected. This one is natural to Bermuda.”
October 1, 2008: The Royal Gazette
More than 80 residents are protesting a Planning appeal for a beach bar at Warwick Long Bay.
Applicant Belcario Thomas and agents Entasis Architecture are appealing the Development Applications Board’s rejection of the ‘Sandbar’ – a 60-seat restaurant and cocktail bar to the west of the Warwick Long Bay car park.
Mr. Thomas wants to create an “ambient, Ibiza-type bar” and says he will follow Government conservation and environmental advice to make it “as environmentally-friendly as possible”.
In a letter to Planning, Jon Wilson Allen, director of Entasis Architecture, said: “This proposal seeks not to destroy or harm the environment but to celebrate it.”
The ‘Sandbar’ design consists of a T-shaped split-level wooden decking, with panels anchored into the sand to enable their removal in the event of a hurricane and at the end of the summer season.
Mr. Thomas – the events’ organiser behind Unité, plans to screen the decking perimeter with native vegetation and to carry out a daily clean-up of the surrounding area.
The 2,500 sq ft restaurant and beach bar includes a mobile kitchen – operational between May and November, and ‘Port-a-loo’ toilets on the other side of the car park turnaround.
Planning officers refused permission for the ‘Sandbar’ as the South Shore Park site is zoned under Open Space and is a National Park Conservation Area. The DAB report said: “Warwick Long Bay is the last of Bermuda’s pristine beaches.
‘The proposal will have a dominating and detrimental impact on the natural aesthetic of the beach.”
The Board concluded the development “takes away open space” and raised questions of health and safety due to the sale of alcohol and the steep incline of the beach and its undertow.
The DAB also said the beach bar was contrary to the Bermuda Plan 1992 Planning Statement “in that it would have a detrimental impact on the environmental, visual and amenity value of the undeveloped land” and coastline.
“The proposal is contrary to the preservation of the natural and scenic quality of the Island,” it said.
The development was also contrary to the Bermuda National Parks Act 1986 and did “not adequately address the impacts of parking and traffic”.
There were 107 letters of objection to the ‘Sandbar’. Among residents’ concerns were noise, litter and potential parking overflow, while some also described the project as an environmental “travesty”.
The Bermuda National Trust also opposed the Planning application, saying not enough information had been given regarding the potential visual impact.
In Mr. Thomas’s appeal, it states: “Today’s residents and visitors expect more. Restaurants in parks and bars on beaches are attractions we can expect to find and enjoy in any tourist destination.”
But in a September 16 letter to the Planning Inspectorate, local residents argue the proposed wooden deck and tent canopy will have “a high visual impact from the beach, South Road, and the scenic lay-by opposite Jobson’s Cove”.
“As stated in our original objection, the development’s placement would significantly alter the scenic and unspoiled vista of Warwick Long Bay,” the letter states.
“As local residents, we observe on a daily basis the number of tourists who stop in the lay-by to behold the unspoilt beauty of our Island. For many visitors the unspoilt vista is synonymous with the Bermuda experience.
“This development is strenuously resisted by local residents, and may actually serve to deter tourists who seek Bermuda for the beauty and tranquillity our beaches afford.”
The letter – written on behalf of 80 residents, says: “If ever there were a case which merited a public inquiry, such as would be offered to Bermudians by the appointment of an Independent Inspector, it is the case under appeal.
“The application, which after all, relates to publicly-owned land, concerns the public’s continuing enjoyment of a National Park, and raises concerns amongst the local residents.
“We respectfully submit that the decision of the Development Applications Board to refuse this application should be upheld, and that this appeal should be dismissed.”
Mr. Thomas declined to comment yesterday. The appeal will be considered at a later date by Environment Minister El James.
October 2, 2008: The Royal Gazette
Parks have lost conservation area zoning – BEST
By Amanda Dale
An environmental pressure group has raised concerns over a lack of protection for National Parks under the Draft Bermuda Plan 2008.
The deadline for objections to the Plan is tomorrow, following four months of public consultation.
The Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) has submitted several objections and recommendations to Government, which include tighter rules for Special Development Orders, greater advertisement of planning applications, and a team of environmental consultants for the Development Applications Board.
Among its main concerns however, are the removal of Open Space Reserve zoning for parkland and ‘Compact Lot’ zoning, which BEST claims will allow for higher density housing.
BEST chairman Stuart Hayward warned: “Parklands no longer have a conservation area zoning so it means they could be open for development, and that is highly significant.”
The organisation is also calling for the removal of Tourism zoning from the Southlands estate, following the transfer of the Jumeirah Southlands hotel project to Morgan’s Point.
Among its other objections is opposition to greater building heights in commercial centres across the Island.
In a statement yesterday, BEST praised planners who drafted the Plan, as doing “a sterling job in terms of making the Draft more understandable for the lay person”. However, the group raised the following objections:
* “Bermuda’s parklands must not lose existing protection: The Draft Bermuda Plan 2008 outlines the objective of ‘protecting sufficient land as amenity parkland for the passive and active recreational enjoyment of the public’. In failing to continue to zone these areas as Open Space Reserve, the Draft Bermuda Plan 2008 removes from existing and future National Parks of Bermuda the protections previously afforded to them under the Bermuda Plan 1992.
“BEST requests that the zoning map be amended so that all areas zoned ‘Park’ should continue to also be zoned ‘Open Space Reserve’ as they had previously been zoned in the Bermuda Plan 1992.”
* “‘Compact Lot’ zoning means pockets of high density housing: BEST objects to the proposed creation of the ‘Compact Lot’. It is our understanding that this is new terminology that allows for subdivision of land where a lot may now be created in Residential Zone 1 which is between 3,500 to 4,500 sq ft. In the previous Plan a minimum lot size was defined as 6,000 sq ft for a detached house, and all lots sized less than this were considered ‘undersized’.
“It is obvious that the provision of ‘compact lots’ will contribute to increased density of housing in Bermuda. We note that the Draft Bermuda Plan 2008 reduces the minimum setback permissible from 10 ft to a minimum of 6 ft in a ‘compact lot’. This has the effect of reducing space between detached homes from 20 ft to 12 ft, which is a significant reduction of 40 percent.”
* “Building height relaxation in commercial centres adds to density-related problems: BEST objects to the proposed increase of the maximum building heights in the Shelly Bay, new Brighton Hill, new Paget Plaza, Warwick Central, Riddell’s Bay, Collector’s Hill, Paget Central and Somerset Road neighbourhood commercial centres on various grounds, including impact on conservation/protection areas, increased traffic and pedestrian safety.
“While the proposed provisions for neighbourhood commercial centres aim to serve the Plan’s objective of providing for the controlled development of commercial uses in appropriate locations serving the needs of the local community, consideration must also be given that the majority of these centres about Nature, Open Space, Agricultural and Woodland Reserves, as well as Recreation and Rural base zones.
“These areas are of special environmental and social significance, and value to the community.”
* “Southlands needs zoning changes to ensure protection: BEST objects to the current zoning designation of the property known as ‘Southlands’. We respectfully submit that those areas currently zoned ‘Tourism’ should be rezoned as National Park, Open Space and Nature Reserve to reflect the stated Government intention for this property and the express will of the Bermudian public.
“Additionally, a woodland buffer zone between the area to the north, zoned Residential 1, and the greater Southlands property, should be established.”
BEST also recommends more transparency in the planning applications process, with the posting of “prominent public notices” being compulsory, particularly concerning public land, open space and community areas.
The organisation also calls for a board of environmentalists to be added to the DAB’s consultation list whenever a conservation zone or large-scale development is being considered.
BEST also wants to see tighter rules for the use of SDOs. “SDOs can and often do have the effect of bypassing the due process and transparency of applications made to the Department of Planning,” says BEST.
All planning applications since June 6 have been subject to the Planning Statement and Zoning Maps of the Draft Bermuda Plan 2008.
Following the four-month consultation period, any objections will go before a public inquiry to be chaired by a tribunal. Environment Minister El James will then review the tribunal’s report and present the final Plan before Parliament.
The Bermuda Plan 2008 will then guide all development until 2015. It is the first overhaul of land use and planning regulations on the Island in 16 years.
The Draft Bermuda Plan 2008 can be inspected at the Department of Planning at the Government Administration Building, 30 Parliament Street, Hamilton, or at: www.planning.gov.bm, parish post offices and the Bermuda National Library.
October 3, 2008: The Royal Gazette
National Parks will be afforded more protection under the Draft Bermuda Plan 2008, an Environment spokesman said yesterday.
Government issued a statement in response to claims from environment pressure group BEST that the Plan does not do enough to stop parks falling victim to development.
In a statement, the spokesman said the 2008 Plan includes a new Park Conservation Base Zone, which has the same protection as the 1992 Bermuda Plan — but with additional protection requiring development be set back from park lands. Further, the Nature Reserve Conservation Base Zone covers land of “special environmental significance”, and protected areas under the National Parks Act 1986.
Protected areas aim to: safeguard and maintain plants and animals as well as geological, marine and other natural features or products; provide for the use of the area in its natural state with a minimum of commercial and mechanised activity; provide open space; protect and maintain historic monuments and buildings (including forts), marine products, sites of particular historic, archaeological, or aesthetic value.
The spokesman also clarified the procedures for objections to the Draft Bermuda Plan 2008, the deadline for which is today, following four months of public consultation.
“In accordance with the Tribunal Rules, the Minister will establish a Tribunal to consider and make recommendations to the Minister on any such objections and representations,” he said.
“The regulations provide for a prescribed manner in which objections are handled and the response to any formal objections would be dealt with in accordance with the regulations.
“The protocol requires that such objections be dealt with after the Tribunal has been appointed.”