Beach was manifesto; not turning park into parking lot
As part of the campaign promise for re-election last year, the Belize City Council promised to bring back the beach at the seafront of the B.T.L. Park along Marine Parade. But how would the cash strapped council, which has been ailing in the past year to pay its garbage collection debt, build a beach which has been estimated to cost upwards of a half a million dollars? After Venezuela did not provide the funding as was expected, the council turned to an investor and proposed to hand over a part of the park for a parking lot in exchange for creating the beach. In a check by News Five, several councilors said that they would vehemently fight against any privatization of the park but the idea was never tabled at any council meeting. Dean Samuels was the councilor that Mayor Moya Flowers designated to find an investor for the project. Information about the proposal is now on the airwaves and it is meeting considerable opposition. Samuels told News Five that an agreement was not finalized, but discussed with the Hutchandani group.
Dean Samuels, City Councilor
dean samuels
“It was something that they said they would be interested in. I mean they’re sitting and having a conversation and they were interested in it but they wanted to see the cost effectiveness of it really and truly. We sat down with an architectural firm and we ask them if they could do specifications on it; what would it cost or something to that extent. This is nothing—and I must stress—this is just a proposal to the City Council and the [Hutchandani] group sitting down to see if we could get the beach project finished.”
“What the council proposed is if we could take the park out, so we would be building a retaining wall and we would be filling it back and again aesthetic, beautification, enhancement of the park. It’s a win-win situation I think for the people of Belize. I think we should put politics aside and falls rumors. It’s something that definitely we should look at it from the benefit of the Belizean people and move forward. Again this is a proposal, the group didn’t even say yes, I agree to the proposal. The truth is what they would want in return for such an investment—really and truly just the specs on it, the project would have cost close to half a million dollars just to build the wall and the filling. So the group hasn’t agreed, we have nothing documented, or a proposal, it’s not that the council hid it from the public or some kind of shady deal; it’s nothing like that.”
“If half of the park was given for parking, which the public could utilize as well, then half of the park was going to be taken back in on the seaside. The park right now, it is eroding away. If you guys go out there you can film that. Right now the sea is almost next to the walk way at B.T.L. Park and again it’s enhancement, beautification for the long term for everybody to enjoy.”
Smells fishy…..someone at city council is definitely getting paid off bigtime to suppliment this so called deal trust me.
THATS WHERE PART OF OUR GST SHOULD GO TO. I MEAN ALL WHAT THIS GOVERNMENT THINKS ABOUT IS TAKE AWAY AND BARELY MAYBE EVEN NEVER GIVES BACK TO THE BELIZEAN PEOPLE. LET ME SAY THIS PARK IS WHERE MOST FAMILIES COME TO ON SUNDAYS AND TRY TO ENJOY THEMSELVES AWAY FROM SO MUCH VIOLENCE THAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY. MY PERSONAL OPINION IS DO YOUR PARKING LOT SOMEHWERE ELSE….UNDERGROUND PARKING LOTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. ITS TOO MUCH FROM YOU GUYS NOW!!!! ANOTHER THING IVE NOTICED IS THAT OUR WHOLE SEAFRONT IS TAKEN BY BUILDINGS AND HOTELS I MEAN LIKE WHAT ENJOYMENT DO PEOPLE EVEN TOURIST HAVE OF OUR SEAFRONTS??????? THINK BELIZEANS THINK….IM FED UP OF BELIZE FALLING DOWN INSTEAD OF COMING UP! I DONT SUPPORT SUCH INSANITY. IMAGINE IF THE PARK WAS TAKEN AWAY CAUSE THAT IS EVENTUALLY GONNA HAPPEN AND WE STUPID BELIZEANS NOT GONNA SAY ANYTHING…IF THE PARK IS TAKEN AWAY WHERE ARE FAMILIES GONNA GO SPEND THEIR TIMES?????? IN RESTAURANTS??? I DONT THINK SO EVERYTHING GOING UP EXCEPT UR PAY. IN THEIR HOMES????? LOOOL COME ON.
another example of politicians not having a clue of what to do. Where are the promises and solutions? Or do you think you just get elected and that’s it? It is very dissapointing to see such a bunch of incompetents in office!!
DO SOMETHING!
I just can’t believe what I am hearing! Half of the park that is the major family gathering spot? No way people…don’t let this happen for the kid’s sake. Let them find another alternative and not bring in an excuse of us the Belizeans having a beach that was promised long time ago. All of us should know by now that promises are meant to be broken some point in time…yes, it is okay with me to forget about the beach and keep the park as is. GOD BLESS BELIZE
To give up any portion of this park would be a gigantic mistake by all who is involved. This should never happen! Where are the City Planners or does Belize City have any City Planners? I am assuming that they do have planners so I am going to say why when they reviewed the plans for this development parking was not part of the plans. The burden to makes sure there are enough parking spaces for patrons of any business should never fall on the backs of the common man in that he will have to give up the only place in the City where he can go (with his family) for a walk and enjoy some sea breeze. There are no designated places for parks in any neighbourhood. Open areas in every city is of vital importance! THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER EVEN BEEN CONTEMPLATED
DON’t DO IT!
Come on Belize, nobody gives you something for nothing….That is, especially in the game of politics, whether Red or Blue, it’s a matter of what you give up for what you get…. What little you get from the country is barely enough to sustain it.. Even in the USA, the state get money from private donors some better know as lobyst, or special interest groups . All the Europeans and Americans that are coming in, why? to invest…..what they can get….
So what do you want Belize, for things to stay the same, or some change or progress?????? You choose….
Why CAPs! Okay, GST serves for many purposes and sure enough this project can be one. Belize is in such an astronomical debt that the government is using that GST increase to help pay it off. Well that’s the intent but who really knows if that’s the case. This is when the people have the right to see what the government is spending their taxpayer’s money on. Run with it and exploit their corruptness. Ask the questions Belizeans! You have the right to do it.
the right wheels have been greased…this happens in every town and village…money talks at the end of the day pup udp… too bad we cannot put the words “honest politican” together…do they even exist? cause the ones we have elected now a days cannot be described with those two words….
TO MAUD FROM CHICAGO….ITS TRUE WHAT UR SAYING BUT ITS NOT SUITABLE FOR US! WE WAIT FOR CHANGE AND THE ONLY THING IS CHANGING IS THE GOVERMENT OF BELIZE BECOMING MORE IDIOTIC. YOU WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT WE BELIZEANS MEAN UNTIL YOU COME AND LIVE IN OUR SITUATION MAUD. WE ARE NOT AMERICA WE ARE NOT EURPOEANS WE ARE BELIZEANS.
COME ON MAUD WE ALWAYS GIVE SOMETHING AND NEVER DO GET ANYTHING….ANALYZE BEFORE YOU COMMENT. WE BELIZEANS GOTTA STOP BEING LAID BACK ABOUT EVERYTHING THE PLANNERS DECIDE. THERE ARE OTHER SOLUTIONS. LIKE SONIA SAID PROMISES WERE MEANT TO BE BROKEN. A PROMISE WAS MADE TO US BELIZEANS BEFORE THEY WERE EVEN THINKING OF TAKING HALF THE PARK. NOW WHY SHOULD WE AGREE ON THEM TAKING HALF THE PARK JUST BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO COMPLETE THEIR PROMISES. THEY TRYING TO PAINT IT PRETTY BUT SOME OF US LIKE ARE NOT STUPID ENOUGH TO AGREE ON CRAZINESS LIKE THIS. COME ON THERE HAS GOT TO BE ANOTHER SOLUTION TO THIS NOT THE PARK PLEASE.
Too bad for Zenaya – Central Government have put a stop to all this nonsense and BTL Park will be developed by Central Governmemnt, and not the city council.
Princess wants a car park do they? Fill in their pool and park there, then!
So why doesn’t the government confiscate the land that Barry Bowen owes just a lot away on the others side of the Marina Towers!!! ENOUGH with our seafront being given to individuals who plan to gain economically from it AND NOT THE PEOPLE OF BELIZE!!!! ENOUGH with having foreigners or pple who have the money to either live in these beachfront properties or hotels to benefit from the seaside!!! ENOUGH!!! THIS IS NOT A PUP OR UDP THING!!!! THIS IS A BELIZEAN PEOPLE THING!!!
Belizeans take note:
What the city council is trying to do is find money so that it can be reallocated to their personal bank accounts and their family businesses and/or ventures. Currently, the lack of funds prevent them from living the Belizean politician’s dream – personal wealth.
Belize and Belize city for that matter has more important and urgent problems, and a beach is certainly not one of them. This is what I mean about politicians without vision; its pure short sightedness on their part. I can assure you that the scent of short term money is what they are following here.
Belizeans its time you demand better for yourselves and your children and future children. FIGHT THIS ONE WITH A VENGEANCE!
yo you DAVE T, just a correctino. It’s not the princess, it’s a new casino being built on the Pickwick compound, where they had a parking lot and a tennis court, it’s smack in front of the park.
ahhhhhhh bullcrap. they want to fix the beach? which beach? we have no beach here in the city…. besides if they wanna fix it into a beach why is it just the area by where this park is??? sumthing is not right. are they hiding something. If thats the case why dont the fix the whole thing into a beautiful beach and not only there…we can even jump and enjoy the belizeans waters. surprisingly our waters are not infested by shark but by guess what???? garbage and broken bottles so again….why only this part where the park is at??????? somethings not right!!!!!!!!