The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

TRANSPORT and Housing Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis has branded the Prospect Ridge subdivision for young professionals an “election ploy”, while revealing that a key government department questioned various aspects of the proposed development.

 As she reiterated yesterday that critical steps were absent from the process, the minister said the “indisputable facts” were that proper protocols and procedures were ignored to advance the project – the brainchild of former Prime Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

She made the comments in the House of Assembly yesterday before tabling the Department of Environmental Planning & Protection’s response to an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the housing development, which was ultimately rejected due to major questions that arose.

 The first area identified for the plan was 83 acres of land in the vicinity of the Baha Mar property.

 “Madam Speaker there is still a lot of chatter about the Prospect Ridge housing development lately,” Mrs Coleby-Davis said. “It seems some may have taken offence to my statements on the matter. I would like to set the record clear in relation to this development. Critical steps like the feasibility study, a topography study and development of a master plan were not done at all.”

 She also said: “Madam Speaker, I came armed with the facts because I understand the barriers in society which presently restricts many Bahamians from becoming homeowners.

 “Therefore, it was important for me to be clear in my submissions that the Prospect Ridge development was in my assessment an election ploy which ignored proper protocol and procedures to advance a new subdivision.

 “I’m not here today to debate anybody’s big dreams or intention to do something in the distant future. These are the indisputable facts. Anything else is just conjecture.

 “The Committee for the Development of Young Professionals worked on preliminary plans and I take no issue with the work they did. However, it must be said that the Prospect Ridge development seemed a long way from being fully fleshed out as a housing solution for young Bahamian professionals.

 “It was in the very, very preliminary stages. That’s it and that’s all. There is nothing here to debate.”

 On September 24, 2021, Department of Environmental Planning & Protection Director Rochelle Newbold pin-pointed nearly 50 issues with the EIA for the project submitted by Island By Design in collaboration with JSS Consulting.

 According to her letter tabled in the House of Assembly, the submitted EIA provided no information on fauna or other birds in the area.

 There was also no information on how the development planned to fall in line with climate change impacts and was “devoid” of any geological information, the letter notes.

 Ms Newbold’s response added: “It is also noted that the proposed site sits in a valley along the north side of Prospect Ridge. However, the document does not provide any information relative to flood potential or flood control in relation to the present site, the potential disturbance and resulting impacts to the surrounding properties. Please advise.”

 In another point, Ms Newbold said all photos submitted in the document were poor quality and would have to be improved and resubmitted.

 She also questioned how the site was to be developed given that septic systems are not appropriate for the area and the build out was to be market driven.

 In conclusion, Ms Newbold said the EIA could not be approved because there was a need for additional site inspections to address nocturnal avian survey data gaps, additional wildlife species surveys, a clear topography and resulting hydrology. There was also a need to properly identify impacts to surrounding environments, the present environmental contributions of the site to determine possible mitigation actions to ensure sustainability among other things.

 Despite this, Mrs Coleby-Davis said the Ministry of Housing was searching for several land options that were ready for immediate construction.

 “…Soon all Bahamians will be able to choose from a cross section of the island—east, west, north and south—as well as the Family Islands to become first time homeowners.”

 The minister added that residents of Abaco and Grand Bahama, especially those directly hit by Hurricane Dorian in 2019, could also look forward to low-cost housing options.