City residents reject developer’s plans for marina
The high political drama surrounding government’s unauthorized payment of a private loan was not the only conflict taking place in Belize this week. On the prosperous north coast of Belize City, irate residents and an ambitious developer were locked in a war of words over the neighbourhood’s future. News Five’s Janelle Chanona was there.
Cecil Arana, Area Resident
“I have no objection to Mr. Gegg’s having his marina, but I don’t want it here.”
Janelle Chanona
The clash between a developer’s desires and resident’s rights has taken place across the country. But in West Landivar, neighbours have banded together to launch unified opposition.
The controversy centres around a proposal by Belize City businessman David Gegg to construct a fifty-six boat marina, a restaurant, fuel station for tour boats, and an office complex on the shore adjacent to Dolphin Park. But the project has met strong resistance from the surrounding community who formalised their objections with a petition and a seven point agenda. The residents have taken their case to the Belize City Council, which must approve the plans before construction of the dock and buildings can begin.
To address their concerns, on Thursday night the Council organised a public forum and invited the developer, the Department of the Environment, and the residents to make presentations. But from the get go, David Gegg was in the hot seat.
David Gegg, Developer
“I’ve been in tourism in Belize for thirty-four years. Unu could heggle and seh all kinda things, yuh noh wah get to me because mi skin thick.”
Approximately two hundred people showed up, and while there were a few supporters in the crowd, most strongly disagreed with Gegg’s plans.
Cecil Arnold
“Mr. Gegg had Moho Caye, why didn’t he envisage this sort of thing for out there? He will no disrupt anybody out there. The other thing is this, people here are hoping that it will benefit this area. It won’t benefit this particular area, it might benefit Belize in that tour operators from outside and other people could come out in and make some money. But for the individual people, all that we will have is a nuisance.”
Nina Reneau, Area Resident
“I had my boys bathing in that creek out there. We go out there and sit down on the mangrove, until you got it. When you got it, you fenced it off, you put a gate, you put a watchman out there. And when we went out there for my sons’ them to go out there and fish, they had a gun on my children. Now you want to come behind here and tell us that you want to work with us, you want to build this park, no way!”
Carlos Lopez, Area Resident
“I believe that what he is doing is providing something—he is providing something instead of a foreigner coming in Belize. We always have the—I Carlos Lopez have fought against monsters and we always have monsters that come in and take over. Mr. Gegg I do not consider a monster, I believe that what he will do will benefit the area. That is my personal belief.”
Yolanda Pariente, Area Resident
“Don’t fool around with West Landivar, you got to move out, you got to move out Mr. Gegg, because it won’t be possible. Because it won’t be nice if you come here, the people are going to retaliate and you will lose more than what you gain.”
Agnes Arana, Area Resident
“We are some of the teachers and the doctors and the lawyers and everybody, while you all grab and sweep with all your greed and all you have to show is your millions and showing off with whatever it is you have and you will die just like the rest of us. I don’t know where all of this came from, but I am mad as hell and it takes a heck of a lot for me to get mad. You can take the smirk on your face with all you millions, but it is not going to be easy.”
David Gegg, Developer
“I don’t think that any of you can be swayed at all, because your minds are so set on this that nothing that’s said or done will change your mind.”
Faced with open hostility, Gegg tried to defend his idea by highlighting the benefits of his project.
David Gegg
“In the first phase, we looking at fifty to sixty jobs, we are also looking in other phases of significantly more jobs. But I mean, let’s be realistic about something, all of us must have a degree of civic pride. If you walk down the street to my property, garbage is dumped all over the place and I didn’t put it there and I intend to clean it up. It’s been there for years, it’s been there for years, old refrigerators, old stoves, old furniture. It’s there right now. Anybody say it’s a lie, let’s take a walk and check it out and I guarantee you it will be cleaned up right away. The facilities that we intend to put up will be as nice as my house because I don’t do things in a half-assed Mickey Mouse way. Whatever we do is going to be dynamic, it’s going to be very nice, it’s going to upgrade and improve the neighbourhood tremendously, it’s going to make this place a location that you all will have even more pride in. We do not abuse people, we noh greedy, despite what you may think. I work bloody hard all mi life and yes I have been successful. And instead of taking that money to Miami and building another house, I invest every penny I have made in this country.”
The Trade License Board of the Belize City Council will now meet to discuss Gegg’s project proposal.
Zenaida Moya, Mayor Belize City Council
“As early as next week. I will be calling a board meeting for next week to deal with this particular situation.”
According to Belize City Mayor Zenaida Moya, the residents of Buttonwood Bay have set an important precedent in the old capital.
Zenaida Moya
“A lot of times the residents they sit back and they don’t really become part of what is happening in their neighbourhoods. In this case I am very proud of them, they are a part of it and so I believe other people will be looking at it. These residents have done their homework, they have brought a lot of things to the table.”
We do want investment, we are also doubly happy if it’s a Belizean who is involved in that investment because we do hope that at the end of the day that they will be hiring Belizeans—it should be a win-win situation. It is difficult, but at the end of the day, to deal with the situation of extra traffic, to deal with the situation of other people coming into your neighbourhood sort of invading your privacy and blocking your view and all the different nuisances that could arise, we really have to look at that. And I must say this council, whilst business persons, I sure a lot of them voted for us, I am sure they also expect us to be responsible.”
Jose Coye, Caribbean Shores Area Representative
“I am not against the investment, but I believe indeed that if the people don’t want it here, then they need to find another place for it. It may have economic benefits no doubt to the country and maybe to Belize City, but if it is not the place because the people don’t want it here, then they should try and find another location for it.”
David Gegg leased the land to build the marina ten years ago from the Government of Belize, but the design for the project currently before the City Council has been under development for the last two years. Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.
In his presentation, Chief Environmental Officer Martin Alegria, stressed that while Gegg has not been asked to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment, he will be expected to comply with an Environmental Compliance Plan, and moreover, must get additional permission from the relevant government agencies before any dredging, land reclamation, or mangrove clearing can begin.
