AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Belize Life Living in Belize development

I rarely start a thread on this forum, because my property is on the Placencia Peninsula, but here goes!
I don't know if many of you are aware of it, but there is a lot of development going on, or proposed, on the Placencia Peninsula. Unlike Ambergris Caye, which is fairly large, the peninsula is a very narrow stretch of land that has a much smaller carrying capacity. I am not going to describe all the development (devestation?!) that is going on there--you can read about that on the other forum.
Anyways, my question to you is this: Since AC, particularly San Pedro, has been under fairly "heavy" development for a long time, heavier than the peninsula anyway, how do you private (houses not condos) property owners feel about it? I am addressing both Belizeans and expats. How has the town, and the rest of the island, dealt with trash removal, sewage, water supply, etc.? How do the local people, who used to be primarily fisherfolk, feel about it? How has it affected the reef?
I appreciate your replies. I bought my property several years ago because I enjoyed the relative isolation of the peninsula, but now I am not so sure I am going to keep it. Maybe backabush will be better for me! Time will tell......

I used to enjoy being isolated on South Ambergris Caye but those days are over. We knew it would come eventually but not this soon! I think development is happening far too fast for the town to keep up with. The infrastructure just isn't there yet. If San Pedro tax dollars can stay in San Pedro, the whole situation would probably change. Plus with the ministry granting permits to just about anyone with money to build and dredge, that can only have a negative effect on the island and the environment.
With all the multitudes of new condos being built every other month that can only bring down occupancy rates for everyone else. We don't yet have the visitors to fill all these rooms.

On the brighter side, all this growth does bring in better restaurants, stores, etc. I'm not happy with how fast this island is growing but there is still no other place I would rather be. We're just going to eventually have to build a 10 foot concrete wall around our property. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for your quick response. SOunds like what is happening on the peninsula is what is going on where you are. The infrastructure where I am is almost non-existent. Of course, you probably have read about the road on the peninsula and how it has supposed to have been paved for several years (money appropriated and not used for that) and is still unpaved. Not to mention the water supply problem.
I will be interested to hear also from you folks who live in areas that were undeveloped and now are developed.

Great subject Catdance. I moved more North to escape a lot of development but that has caught up with me and even all the way North will only be undeveloped for a few more years.
I'm a 20 year veteran on the island and feel a little sadness at the loss of charm, but most realize we've traded it for wealth.

at the recent EIA meeting for the latest huge development, i brought up my usual rant about at what point is enough enough?
when is it 'full, done'? are you keeping track of the amount of people? the usual for me.
all the reps from DOE admitted that they have no plan and agreed that they need to do a study.
i, as well as a lot of others, have been pushing that point even harder since that meeting.
that they should do the study now, before it's too late!
BTB should look into occupancy rates as well,, here anyway. and decide if more rooms are really necessary or just clogging things up.
maybe it needs to be addressed up that way as well?

With less occupancy, hotels are going to need to drop rates to remain competitive which means less money for employees and owners. Some places can afford to lower their nightly rate but some places are just getting by. It is expensive running a hotel in Belize, especially on the island.

Catdance it sounds like ambergris and placencia pen have similar issues.

Punto Ycacos is pretty quiet.

Hi Barn! Fancy meeting you over here!!
I wonder how other similar places have, or are, dealing with it. I'm thinking Costa Rica, and more recently Honduras--the Bay Islands and Roatan. I realize that their governments are based on Spanish Law as opposed to British, and they are larger countries (by far!) but COsta Rica went through a majour boom starting about 10 years ago, and Honduras is just getting started.
I appreciate the input so far!