The Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) are concerned more about what is omitted by the just-published SDO for Southlands than be what is contained.
The most serious omission is that of the impact of this development when added to next door Atlantic Ltd. Development. The people depend on the government to consider the combined effects of neighbouring developments. It is totally unacceptable for the government to treat these adjacent developments as though there is no interaction, no combined impacts: environmental, visual, on traffic, on power supply and prices, on housing availability and prices, and on the cultural integrity of the neighbourhood.
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August 14th, 2007 | Category: , | Comments (1)
On July 26, Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield headlined a twenty-minute television and radio broadcast that explained Special Development Orders (SDOs) and attempted to justify the issuance of an SDO for the proposed hotel at Southlands. The Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) believes the Minister and her Cabinet colleagues failed in this attempt. In our view, the approval of this project denigrates the planning system and reduces sustainable development concerns to irrelevance. It discounts public opinion in favour of political ends. It negatively impacts the environment, coastline and, most importantly, generations to come. It creates significant precedence for use of public lands by private developers.
Minister Butterfield described SDOs as an important tool used for responding to strategic, national issues and the development needs of the day. The Government has not shown that this particular hotel is strategic or of national importance. Bermuda’s economy is booming, prices for housing are rising out of reach of the average Bermudian, inflation is chipping into everyone’s income. Further rapid expansion of the economy will worsen cost of living issues for middle and lower income Bermudians.
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August 3rd, 2007 | Category: | Leave a comment
Response to Government’s announcement of the approval of an SDO for the Southlands development
Members of the Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) are outraged at the approval of a Special Development Order (SDO) for the Southlands development project. In March of 2007, Minister of the Environment Neletha Butterfield, made public a draft of the SDO and invited consultation – an action for which she deserved and received credit. The draft SDO was soundly discredited by planning, architectural and environmental experts. In addition, in the short period of time that was allowed for objection, thousands of island residents signed a petition against the SDO and hundreds marched in protest and sent letters of objection to both Minister Butterfield and Premier Brown.
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July 27th, 2007 | Category: , , | Leave a comment
Despite the short notice and the early morning rain there were 200 people who came to line the road along South Shore at the Southlands Property this morning to warn their Government and fellow Bermudians that a resort at Southlands such as the one that is planned would be a crime. This crime would not just be an environmental disaster but it would be a crime against Bermudians and set a precedent for the entire island to be completely converted into a concrete jungle where few tourists are likely to visit.Thanks to everyone who came to sound the warning. Our voices were heard despite Nelson Hunt, one of the developers, trying to silence us by revving his motorcycle engine while one of us was being interviewed by VSB news.
Stay tuned for the next event.
You can join BEST and stay up to date via e.mail by clicking on the “send us an e.mail” link on the right side at the top of this page.
July 20th, 2007 | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment
We believe a decision by the Minister of the Environment issuing an SDO for the Southlands development is imminent.
We urge you as members of the Bermuda public to voice your protest against this decision now by doing the following;
1) Call and email (copy your email to BEST at membership@best.org.bm) the Minister of the Environment stating your dissatisfaction with her decision when the decision is made. – nbutterfield@gov.bm tel. 441 292 4595
2) Call and email the Premier (copy your email to BEST at membership@best.org.bm) stating your dissatisfaction with the decision when the decision is made, ebrown@gov.bm tel. 441 295 3130
3) Write and encourage others to write letters to the Editor of the Royal Gazette and the Bermuda Sun; The Royal Gazette -letters@royalgazette.bm or via mail to PO Box HM1025, Hamilton HMDX, The Bermuda Sun - newsroom@bermudasun.bm, or via mail P.O. Box HM1241 HAMILTON HMFX. (please copy your email to BEST at membership@best.org.bm)
4) Call the local radio talk shows to express your outrage at the Minister’s decision. (if you can, send notes of your comments, and any responses, to BEST at membership@best.org.bm)
5) Support and join other future public protests planned by B.E.S.T which will allow you to express your opposition to such a decision.
July 16th, 2007 | Category: , | Comments (1)
Here are some letters that have already been written and sent to the Minister of the Environment:Â
Dear Minister,
As a Bermudian I feel the development of any area of open space in Bermuda would be disastrous for our current population and devastating to the future of our island home. More »
July 13th, 2007 | Category: , , | Leave a comment
Did you watch “Southlands and South Shore” on ZBM? Do you have an opinion on this issue that you would like to share? If so, click on “comments” above and have your say (all comments are held for approval first before appearing on the site in order to avoid spam).
June 29th, 2007 | Category: | Comments (7)
The Southlands developers have attempted to persuade the public that their proposal is of “national importance”.
Unfortunately, the Southlands developers passed over some very important statistics that bring the Southlands proposal into clearer perspective.
In 1986 Bermuda had almost 600,000 visitors (in 1987 the figure topped 600,000).
Anyone who lived here at the time will remember how overwhelmed our infrastructure was for those successive summers. We experienced a collective strain and exhaustion. In the shops, store clerks lost patience and were snippy with customers. There weren’t enough taxis for those who wanted them and taxi drivers also had their patience worn thin, both from the sheer volume of demand and from the heightened congestion on our roads. Even pedestrians were exasperated by the difficulty just walking in Hamilton on sidewalks clogged with visitors. More »
May 28th, 2007 | Category: Uncategorized | Comments (1)
The BEST Save the South Shore Walk last Sunday was a resounding success. Close to 350 people attended and walked the stretch from Warwick Long Bay to Southlands and back. The weather was near ideal and the event proved to be a good fundraiser. We made $11,000 from t-shirt sales!
Thanks to everyone who either helped out or showed up to take part in the walk and thanks for buying our T-shirts! We couldn’t have done it without you!
By the way, we still have some t-shirts in case you or family or friends would like to add to the support. Contact cpowell@northrock.bm for details.
Check out more of our pictures on Flickr!
May 6th, 2007 | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment
