Objectors wary as hotel scheme goes before Planning

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24: Plans to build a five star Park Hyatt development in St George’s will go before planning chiefs today.

Residents and environmental groups were given a chance to raise their concerns about certain aspects of project before the Development Applications Board earlier this week.

But many fear the development is already set in stone after government passed the Park Hyatt Act.

Scores of people, including local residents groups and members of the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce, attended the meeting with the DAB on Monday in Penno’s Wharf in St George’s.

Stuart Hayward from BEST told the Bermuda Sun: “The DAB’s hands are tied in that they cannot over-rule Parliament.

Conditions

“They may, however, attach conditions that will influence the developers to modify their plans.

“However, the St George’s residents who attended the meeting were shocked to find out that approval ‘in principle’ given by the Park Hyatt Act is really a big deal, especially after being told — when the Tucker’s Point SDO was being debated — that ‘in principle’ approval was no big thing.

“It remains to be seen just how the 5-star Park Hyatt outfit wants to treat its neighbours. It is the neighbours who will decide on the next round.”

Mr Hayward said that BEST was not opposed to the hotel but had concerns about the “density and aesthetics of the development” and protecting open space, woodlands and agricultural land.

Local resident David Hillier, who represents around 300 people from the Old Military Road Taskforce, also attended the meeting.

He asked the DAB to consider alternative sites for the hotel’s utility site other than “on their doorstep”.

Mr Hillier told the Bermuda Sun that his group would continue to voice their opposition to the position of the utility site “until the bulldozers moved in”.

He said: “The DAB said it was there to listen to our concerns.

“I felt that after the meeting there was a slim chance of them considering the other options we put forward.

“But we will have to wait and see. I would like to see the utility site moved closer to the hotel development.”

Developer Addax Holdings has applied for planning permission to transform the derelict site of the old Club Med in St George’s into a stylish 100-bedroom hotel, plus a total of 111 condos, villas and detached homes.

The hotel, to be operated by Park Hyatt, will also boast a spa, golf clubhouse, fitness centre, tennis courts and pool facilities if approved by Government planners.

A beach club with a 150-seat restaurant with parking, as well as a 162-bed staff residence, has also been applied for.