The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

The Town Planning Committee appears to be bending over backwards in its consideration of a commercial operation on the corner of Tropical Gardens and West Bay Street, despite the fact that has been resoundingly rejected by the community. What exactly is going on?

This commercial operation would be placed on property currently zoned as residential. Unless there is a hugely compelling reason to do so, the committee has absolutely no right rezoning this area – especially when those who reside in the community continue to raise strong and cogent objections. The plan should be rejected outright. Full stop.

It has been several weeks since a public meeting in which the vast majority of residents in attendance voiced their overwhelming opposition, citing traffic, noise, crime, and constant risk of serious accidents, among other serious objections. The track record of negative impact on the community from this developer’s other business was also strongly noted.

Literally no one but the developer spoke in favour of the proposal. And, yet, it has yet to be turned down. This should have been done and dusted by now - again, what is going on?

Now, residents are being told by Town Planning employees that the committee has asked the developer to submit “a better solution for parking” – as if that would even begin to answer the community’s long list of concerns.

For some mysterious reason, the committee seems intent on working with the foreign developer to get this project approved, in the face of overwhelming objection from Bahamians who have lived in this community for decades. I wonder why? How on earth could such a situation arise?

The residents of Tropical Gardens need and deserve to know what is going on behind the scenes with this proposal. Why this unexplained delay in making the decision? Why this bizarre effort to help the developer improve his proposal? That is absolutely not in the remit of the committee.

All indications would suggest that someone or some persons on the Committee are looking for excuses to approve an overwhelmingly unpopular project. Thank goodness there is an appeals board, which we fully intend to apply to if what appears to be happening is indeed happening.

After that, there is the Supreme Court, The Court of Appeal and if necessary the Privy Council. Along the way, we will, of course, make discovery applications to the court, to finally unearth what is going on behind the scenes. The first thing we will apply to reveal are the minutes of each and every Committee meeting pertaining to this proposal.

I believe it is high time that the Town Planning Committee – an entity funded by the public – be subjected to at least the minimum standard of transparency and accountability. They are public servants, answerable to the people, not little emperors who get to decide the fate of entire communities at a whim.

PACO NUNEZ

Proud Tropical Gardens Resident

November 15, 2023