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The master plan that Marty posted was not adopted. And obviously it was not implemented.

You can not stop development but you can manage it. The place that starts is the planning board. They need to enforce the exsisting laws. Hopefully the new government will do that. And as residents or tourists or investors, we have to stop asking for or buying favors. We are the ones that bring the big bucks down and add to the corruption of the system. All the large developments are from US or Canadian investors and we all give them a pass. It is not OK to destroy the island in pursuit of the almighty dollars. Develop a small, ecofriendly resort and make some money. Don't build huge resorts that need acres of lagoon to be filled and dredged. Do that somewhere else where it is congruent with the culture and environment. There are places that it makes sense. (because they are already ruined probably).

There are comments here about development being positive if properly manaaged ....... and about sacrifices that might need to come if we are to have that managed development.

There are comments from some folks who seem to think that dozing down the southern tip of the island and destroying the inner logoon is necesssary because there is no place else to develop. I don't mean to insult, but it really sounds like these individuals have not seen the island and do not know it's geography. It's a a huge space and there is a LOT of high ground that is undeveloped right now.

IMHO there is no need to eliminate the southern wetlands to have room for a development, and this particular location (south beach) has it's own very important contribution to the local ecology. The master plan was developed by indivdiduals who are pros at this - I trust that they have some skills and wisdom to which we should pay attention. The planners saw this area as an essential natural reserve for many reasons.

This year business is off - primarily because our main tourist market is from the US. The economy there is not good, and travel/passports and paranoia are just not nice these days.
It was the same after 9-11, and during the First Gulf War.
Americans were either afraid, broke or both at those times and when that happens travel is down. Certainly during the First Gulf War the streets were not crowded and the condos had not sprouted, but business here came to a standstill anyway. This stuff happens and is one more reason why slower development is less risky for investor and developer alike.
This time of slow-down is an opportunity for us to take stock of where we are, where we want to go and how we can get there. Together - not dog eat dog chasing the last wave of a feeding frenzy.


There are those people who will almost-always travel and who have budgets that do not break when a plane ticket goes up $200. I am not pushing an elitist social agenda here, but I am pushing an economic one ---- which is a balanced tourist product. Why do we focus on high-density low-to-moderate priced stuff if those very customers have uncertain finances.
There is a whole market of people who do not come to Belize because it's TOO CHEAP. What have we done to attract those travelers and to provide the services and ambience they seek in travel ?

The master plan allowed for a variety of kinds of places - higher density, lower density and low-low. If we can toss up a mega-resort any old place, do you really think a savy high-end investor will build an estate here?
But if you hold to the master plan and have genuine residential and genuine commercial areas, you get a place that makes sense.
If you put real zoning in place you can have an entertinment area where noise does not plague those who came to rise and fish at dawn. You can safely light that area of beach and street, and efficiently provide security and policing. In the end the economies of all concerned tend to improve in this kind of planned use.

Again being crass about money - the reef, the mangroves, the birds and nature in general are our money-makers and to loose sight of that is economic suicide.

great thoughts, pam. shame i don't think the gov't or any developers are listening. the $ speaks much louder than you do.

anyone on-island know if there is any truth to the rumors that much of the folks hired for the clearing/construction for new projects are very often NOT from SP at all - that the workers are coming from elsewhere (mainland, etc)?

diane - i love all your points. it's nice having your knowledge included in this debate.

i'm just noting that i am nowhere near rich. i still showed up on AC less than 1 yr post-9/11, and the next year too. when the airfare goes up, i still come cuz i love it...i just pick a cheaper room.

i just can't imagine that some of the more elite folks of which you speak will love the back areas of SP - i've heard some NASTY comments about how some of the locals live, dead cars, trash, corrugated homes, laundry out...a lot of people are NOT open minded and can put a lot of negative comments out there on trip advisor and fodor's etc ,regarding their opinions of what they saw on AC.
double edged sword, indeed.

Many, if not most are coming from the mainland. development and construction has overwhelmed the local workforce.

Many, if not most are not Belizean either.

i was just curious if or how that fact affects anything.

(sorry - i am a notorious worm-can opener)

Great post, Diane! That's exactly why development plans are created, and you are dead on about the environmental issues.

Well, let's see we have 12.1% unemployment in Belize. The point was made that this project will create jobs. The fact that most of the jobs are not being filled by Belizeans has a long term affect. Once the construction jobs are gone, what do those people do for a living? The other long term consideration is that if you have an excess of rooms you decrease the occupancy rate and therefore the profits of the existing businesses. What happens when profits go down? Wages are cut and staff are cut back and the level of service goes down, creating a general backlash. Once those jobs decrease then what do the Belizeans do for a living?