Trust? Not Likely!
For the past 15 years, the Bahamas National Trust and especially the Exuma Park have held a soft place in our hearts. We believe in the principles and goals of the Trust, if not always the methodology of attaining them.
My last experience in the Park was not a good one. On Sept. 28, we arrived at the Bell Island/Cambridge Cay anchorage to find a new mooring field. As contributing members of the National Trust, we decided to pick up a mooring for the night. The following morning we were met by Park Administrator Tom Barbernitz, a warden and two members of the Bahamas Defense Force for the purpose of collecting the mooring fee. We were told it was $100. That comes out to $1.43 per foot for our 70-foot motor vessel. A neighboring 58 footer paid $35 or 60-cents per foot. I explained that we are members of the Trust and understood there might be some concessions. I was informed that if we traveled to Park Headquarters, we could stay two nights at no cost. That was not part of our plan.
I spoke at length with Eric Carry, executive director of the Trust, about my displeasure and asked for the formula for their charges. He explained it was predicated on boat length in various categories. If this was a proper and equitable method, all marinas would employ it. I further inquired into the Trust’s liability should the moorings fail. No answer.
We want the Trust to prosper, however, over the years I have been accosted by children in the Warden’s boat and insulted while diving on the reef near Soldier Cay. Last year in this anchorage, our boat was “tossed” by the Park warden and the Defense Force, who of course found nothing improper. What are these people thinking?
I paid my $100 mooring fee and returned my National Trust membership card to Mr. Barbernitz in two pieces.
G. Wade Aycock
M/V Junkanoo
Ed. Note:Apparently Mr. Aycock is not the only person who questioned the mooring fees. See this month’s Bahamas Update for an explanation.
And in the
Developer’s Corner....
The Sierra Club as represented by Michael Perrault, Judith Lang and Dave Raney have voiced their opinion regarding the Baker’s Bay Golf and Ocean Club (BBC) at Great Guana Cay, Abaco, Bahamas. I write in response to express important facts about our development. It must be noted that despite direct invitations, representatives of the Sierra Club have not visited BBC and comments by the organization must be viewed within such a context. Their absence is in stark contrast to visits by local Bahamian environmental organizations such as Friends of the Environment, the Bahamas in-country program of the Nature Conservancy and the Bahamas National Trust.
BBC is a world-class private resort community on one of the most beautiful islands of the Bahamas. The project is being proactively developed with the highest existing and newly defined environmental standards, many of which are being emulated elsewhere. Created by Discovery Land Company(DLC), Baker’s Bay will include a very environmentally sensitive Tom Fazio-designed golf course, a 168-slip marina, state-of-the-art waste water and solid waste treatment, and a vibrant public Bahamian village. We are proud of such a progressive development.
BBC is not a mega-development, but rather an appropriately scaled smart growth project. At 400 homesites, the density for the 585 acres is much lower that what already exists on Guana Cay. Our low-rise architecture is consistent with the island look. Our approach to sewerage within the development, marina and the golf course are all examples of the high standards for environmental sensitivity the project is taking. Our facility for treatment of effluent suitable for reuse on the golf course is the only such facility in the Abacos. Our view is that the build out of the entire cay should mandate an advanced waste water system such as ours and the current common practice of cess pits and soak-aways should be entirely abandoned as this practice is very harmful to the marine environment.
DLC is fully aware of the importance of protecting and reserving the reef.The golf course highlights this commitment. In addition to the use of Seashore Paspallum and limited irrigated turfgrass, grading plans are designed to slope to the island’s interior into man-made wetlands, which act as natural filtration. Drainage water is recirculated. An area of native vegetation serves as a buffer between the course and nearshore environment.
With respect to denying the “rights of the respected communities to participate in the land use review,” the Supreme court ruled “the claims of the Applicants that the Government did not consult the people and paid no attention to their concerns....is quite bold and barefaced in their inaccuracy.” We have widespread support among the community. We have also participated in community meetings where we provide all in attendance, including the Save Guana Cay Reef Association (SGCRA) representatives, with progress reports. Meeting participants may pose questions and provide comments. SGCRA and the community at large have an open invitation to tour the BBC project. To date, none of these invitations have been accepted. BBC will continue to monitor and report on the environmental impacts of the development to the appropriate agencies. We will continue to interact with local NGOs. Having developed properties throughout the U.S. Mexico and the Bahamas, DLC is most interested in raising the bar for environmental stewardship. In developing Baker’s Bay, DLC has embraced a shared values approach with regard to Great Guana Cay and surrounding communities. As important, the BBC project is very consistent with the development goals articulated by the Bahamian Government when the project was approved. Importantly, two successive administrations have given the BBC project their approval. We again invite both SCGRA and the Sierra Club to visit Baker’s Bay and share their findings with us, especially those that will enhance an already proactive and aggressive environment stewardship program.
Mike Meldman
Chairman/CEO
Discovery Land Company