Residents petition against Hyatt plans

THURSDAY, JULY 14: St George’s residents have filed a petition with nearly 300 names on it protesting against the Park Hyatt development.

They say proposed plans to build an industrial site in their “front yard” are unacceptable.

David Hillier, who heads up the Old Military Road Task Force of local residents, handed in the petition to the Department of Planning yesterday.

He said: “When we saw the plans and understood what they are planning to do we knew we had to act.”

Devalued

Mr Hillier, who has lived in St George’s all his life, claimed the project to build an industrial/utility site on a Woodland Reserve Area off Old Military Road would destroy residents’ peace and tranquility.

The petition has attracted 280 signatures so far.

“We do embrace the idea of a hotel. However we are facing a bigger threat to our area,” he said.

“A Woodland Reserve Area in the heart of a residential area has been taken over by the Bazarian group to become what is their utility zone.

“We are very concerned and upset that this location has been picked to house all the industrial utilities including a sewage plant.

“We feel that the location chosen has not been thought through adequately.” He said the site will house a Belco substation, two back-up generators, fuel tanks, a reverse osmosis plant, a tertiary sewage plant and a golf maintenance shed and offices.

Mr Hillier also claimed there had been “no real communication from our corporate neighbours”.

He added: “There is too much industrial activity for this residential area. We feel that this once quiet area of St George’s will be lost forever.

“We feel that our homes in which we have lived in all our lives and in which we have invested time and money will now be greatly devalued.

“The area will experience issues with the increased traffic to the hotel, but also from large industrial vehicles and noise pollution coming from all the equipment.

“We get to have this for the rest of our lives. This is unacceptable.

“An alternate site must be found with the Corporation of St George’s, the Bermuda Government and the Bazarian Group.”

The Park Hyatt plans went on public display in the Department of Planning at the start of the month.

Developer Addax Holdings has applied for planning permission to transform the derelict site of the old Club Med into a 100-bedroom hotel, plus 111 condos, villas and homes.

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

At a press conference yesterday Stuart Hayward, chairman of the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce (BEST), complained that islanders had only had 10 days to comment on the plans before they went to the planning board.

He urged people to make their voices heard by today’s deadline.

Mr Hayward said: “The sewage, water and electricity plants are being located in what might be termed the backyard of the hotel complex.

Meetings

“But that location is in the front yard of some of St George’s oldest residences.

“That can’t be right. Should long term residents of St George’s be reduced to a two or three star existence just so Park Hyatt residents can be offered a five star enclave? We think not.”

E. Michael Jones, local consultant for the Park Hyatt project, told the Bermuda Sun developers had worked closely with local residents.

He said: “We have had several meetings with residents to keep them informed of what we are doing.

“We are now going to wait for the planning process to take its course.

“We are very hopeful that we will be able to work with the public to build a fine establishment which we can all be very proud of.”