AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Environment SOUTH BEACH NOT DEAD

You're right here in town...why not sit down with him?

Actually, I'm not right in town, but your point is well taken.

I will write to the developer to ask for his intentions, a copy of the EIA and a copy of the permits. I can ask our elected officials for the same.

Why don't you do so also? The San Pedro Daily might actually get some answers! I am less optimistic about my chances.

I am willing to let the proper procedure take its course. Our new government can show its willingness to uphold the law and conduct business in person rather than on a message board.

You might get somewhere if you would identify yourself and state what your interest is in this project.

Well, who wants government officials who would conduct business on a message board?! I cannot imagine anyone.

What are the proper procedures you are waiting on?

Since the last post, I heard (no, I was not there and did not SEE, but I heard) that there is a lot of activity on the South Beach site. Several heavy machines, such as bulldozers and excavators, working and workers cutting mangroves. I am waiting for pictures.

If that report is accurate, it ought to mean that proper procedures HAVE been taken their course.

Now, I missed the public announcement of the EIA, which is why I was shocked to see a copy of the letter and why I posted it.
That doesn't mean there wasn't an EIA, and many readers of this message board are far more informed than I. Was there one? It's an empirical question on a matter required to be on the public record.

I do not expect government officials to be monitoring this site. But neither do I consider the site restricted to restaurant recommendations and the like. It can serve a public function and be a forum of a more serious nature.

If anyone else out there has real information or has seen the EIA, I would appreciate it.

Jesse, when I responded to your last post, I was too hasty. I stopped at the end of the first paragraph and did not see the last one that said "You might get somewhere if you would identify yourself and state what your interest is in this project."

Where on earth do you think I am trying to get? I have asked for INFORMATION and posted the text of the letter that prompted my request.

I have NO personal stake in this project. That is to say, I am not an investor in South Beach, its developer, any company that will be constructing South Beach or selling its condos, etc. Nor do I have an interest in neighbouring property that will be directly affected by the construction of South Beach. Nor do I have an interest in a competing developer, real estate firm or construction company. I am not a tour guide, hotel owner, fisherman, diver, boat operator or in any way in the tourism business. I do not feel the need to defend the actions of any member of the government or of any political party. I have never even been to Hol Chan, although I know it is the single most visited site in Belize.

My interest arises solely out of my interest in Ambergris Caye, including as a potential investor.

No, I will not reveal my identity or ask for anyone else's. (I don't know you except that your reply had San Pedro Daily written on it, and somebody else's comment had the name Amanda and a last name I can't see on this screen.) When the time for persuasion comes, I like to think I will not be swayed by someone's name or personality, but only by his arguments; and I will certainly try to make arguments worthy of consideration on their merits, not on the basis of my name or personality.

As to the current state of South Beach, the matter is not now one of persuasion, but of information.

The whole truth is that I went to Ambergris Caye with the idea of becoming a homeowner, and I was asked by several others to be on the lookout for property I could recommend to them. The jury is still out for me, partly because of past development (like Reef Village). It may be that no investment on Ambergris Caye is safe because there is no management plan and no apparent (to me) attempt to balance development with quality of life issues (like adequate infrastructure, sustainable tourism, conservation of the natural world that the economy is built on).

I will be the first to admit I am not plugged in to the powers that be, whether official or unofficial. There is much of which I am not aware. I frankly have not usually known where to go for information. Hence, the message board.

I was stunned to see that Pierce claims local political support. I know I will be asking the politicians why they would possibly support this. It MAY be that all permitting was done legally through the past government planning board. I am adamantly opposed to the project BUT what happens if a new governmnt steps in and stops projects that have been through the process. Investment will stop and feel really unsafe to potential investers.
I have flown over the area and there is a lot of construction activity.
AC will destroy itself with these kinds of growth projects. Hopefully the new planning board will make better decisions. I believe that we ( American and Canadian investers) also need to make better choices as to what we buy and what we develop.

so are they going to fix the road down there??? that road gets undrivable some times of the year.......

removing mangroves doesn't sound good to me (sounds illegal)!!!!

ERT= Ethel Truly


and she IS located here on the island.

I have seen Environmental Impact studies on the Ministry of Natural Resources website in PDF format. I have not seen one for South Beach. Their website is currently under construction so who knows how long it will be before it is updated.

I guess I don't understand why, if somebody lives on the island and is soooo up in arms about the project, that they don't go directly to the developer, the town board, the housing and planning board and the Minister of Tourism who is based on the island - and ask for the facts. Why do they expect somebody else to go out and gather all of the facts for them?

When I wanted to know what was going on at Reef Village I called Jeff Pierce, he graciously came to my office, sat down and told me everything I could possibly want to know - it took about 1 hour of our time - and I got to the root of the facts.

I haven't seen anything official that EVER said that the South Beach Project was dead. I only ever saw that rumour posted here on this board.

I don't actually care whether or not somebody wants to be anonymous, but with anonymity comes a lesser amount of weight in their words, and a large amount of distrust as to motives and intentions.

The forestry department can grant permits for removal of mangroves - so whether or not the mangroves are being removed illegally is a subject that can be easily checked. EIS and EIA are lodged with the Ministry of Natural Resources and can be easily checked.

The government of Belize is pro-development. Preferably I am sure we would like to sustainable development.

But little acts of sabotage and defamation of characters and/or outrage at new projects won't stop progress. Perhaps the energy spent in uproar could be used to lobby for stricter environmental constraints.

On the subject of the road - certainly it can be fixed. Do you remember the never-ending hole at Ramon's? And the one at the BYC? It took years but they have been fixed.... for now.