The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

By this time, it is no surprise to you that most, if not all of us, have serious concerns about your plans for a marina in Little Harbour. You may recall the Prime Minister’s remark upon your purchase of the Abaco Club at Winding Bay cautioning developers that “such projects cannot work unless they have the buy-in of locals”.

The marina you propose will forever alter the character of the harbour, and not in a positive way. Our harbour is a nursery for turtles and other marine animals. It is a fragile environment, which is already threatened, even without a marina. We need to do everything we can to keep it healthy.

Besides the huge U-shaped dock you envision, the infrastructure on land will overwhelm us: A 6,000 square foot parking area? Large generators? Inadequate sewage treatment; you presently have a house built for a small family with sewage facilities designed for that number of people.

That is where you now plan to have your Winding Bay members and their guests meet for cocktails and some kind of refreshment. Think of all the people a 6,000 square foot parking area, and a 44-slip marina will attract to this single family location, and then think about the fate of the turtles, to say nothing about swimmers and others who use or merely enjoy looking at the as yet unspoiled harbour.

We have asked that you consider other options that will not encroach in such a permanently damaging way upon our community. Since there is more than enough space on your existing dock to accommodate your members’ needs, we urge you to rethink your plans so that a mutual solution can be reached, a solution that will not harm our small village and uniquely precious harbour, which for now is an authentic Abaco landmark and destination. We want it to remain that way.

JAN DENNIS                                                                          

Nassau,

February 6, 2015.