Development on San Pedro raises environmental concerns
There is more controversy coming out of La Isla Bonita – and you guessed it, it’s over real estate again! This time the story is that Canadian developer, David Mitchell, has been granted permission by the Department of the Environment to develop marsh land in the vicinity of the San Pedro sewer system into a residential area to be called Sugar Caye Development. It has also gotten the nod from the Geology and Petroleum Department for the dredging to create a channel. And while the project has received the green light from these departments, various persons have raised environmental concerns. The proposed project is dangerously close to a sewer system in low-lying wetlands and the main concern is what would happen in the event of a hurricane. What’s more, Mitchell’s application for approval to clear mangroves for the project was made by the San Pedro Town Council. Marion Ali was in San Pedro and has a report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
This is the project site from the sky; an area measuring little over sixty-three acres which will be subdivided into over four hundred parcels of land. It is located right next to the San Pedro sewer waste site, about four miles away from the centre of town. And this is the cover page of the application to the Department of the Environment made out by the San Pedro Town Council and signed by Mayor Elsa Paz on behalf of Sugar Caye Development. The project was granted permission by Chief Environmental Officer, Martin Alegria, to clear mangroves for the project. It is a project that despite the concerns, developer, David Mitchell will carry out. Mitchell is presently out of the country, but Frank Panton who is the project consultant, gave us an idea of what it will be.
Frank Panton, Environmental Consultant, Sugar Caye Dev. Proj.
“The scope of the project is to develop a new sub-division south of San Pedro Town for living, of course and we’re going to develop plots of land for building homes on. The area is relatively near to the sewer ponds that serve the whole town of San Pedro. It’s made for the use of about sixty-six thousand people and it’s very under-utilised. So the project itself is gonna be near a facility that will actually improve the conditions of health.”
But while many are concerned about the environmental impact of the residential project in the sewer system area, Frank Panton says there is nothing at all to worry about.
Frank Panton
“The ponds are designed to sit there and make the sewage bacteria die, that’s what the ponds are all for. They’re scientifically designed and whenever any disaster comes along most of the stuff will already be cleaned up in the ponds. If there is any overspill there is always one – the pond is a set of three, two are always in use and for any overflow conditions it will simply overflow into the third empty one.”
Marion Ali
“So you’re saying categorically Mr. Panton that nobody’s health will be compromised at all, none at all.”
Frank Panton
“My particular job with this company is to make sure that all the environmental compliance is met, that everything is environmentally safe and that people’s health are well taken care of.”
But even if the project proposal has met the requirements of the Department of Environment, the next question is why did the San Pedro Town Council intervene on behalf of a private developer to get an application approved? The town’s Deputy Mayor, Nestor Gomez, said there really was nothing behind it and that San Pedro needs more space for homes.
Nestor Gomez, Deputy Mayor, San Pedro Town Council
“Lot of people from the mainland are coming here to look for a job. Once they’re here for two years, the first thing they come and say is “I need a little piece of land”. Now this gentleman approached the Town Board and said look I have sixty-two or sixty-three acres and he said let’s work together. Let’s do it and we can sell it to the local people at a reasonable price.”
Marion Ali
“Is it the norm that the council would do that for a developer?”
Nestor Gomez
“No, not really. It seemed easier, a better way if we did the application because he asked us.”
But News Five understands that some of the same people who don’t support the project include some councillors on the Town Council as well as a group which Gomez had formed to protest a previous development, the controversial South Beach Development mega project. Today it appeared that while Gomez and his council applied for approval for the project, he personally had an issue with it initially.
Nestor Gomez
“We have a group—and I formed part of the group—it’s called Citizens for Sustainable Development. We are saying that because of the WASA that has their pond there for the filtering for the sewer system, that it is not the best area to give out lots for the people. But if the government of Belize, if the departments have already issued all these permits for him and have already given him the green light to go ahead, I don’t know, it’s kinda… to me. But again we cannot stop development.”
While they cannot stop development, one thing Gomez says they can stop is applying for approval for another project since they have taken quite a flack for this one.
Nestor Gomez
“After going through all this I think we’d have to sit down and really think about it. I don’t know.”
Marion Ali
“What are you going through?”
Nestor Gomez
“Oh, it’s a lotta heartaches and heartbreaks because all of the newspapers they come to us and just like you, why did the council did this? I thought we did it in good heart.”
Marion Ali
“Is anybody benefiting from the council out of this project personally?”
Nestor Gomez
“As far as I know, no.”
Reporting fro News Five, Marion Ali.
News Five understands that each plot of land will cost around seventeen thousand dollars, GST included. We acknowledge the assistance by freelance correspondent, Jorge Aldana.
