The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Please find below for publication our citizen’s response email sent to Mr Charles Zonicle, Director of Physical Planning, following last evening’s Town Planning Meeting with regard to the proposed Application by Adelaide Pines Limited. - Pam Burnside

September 22, 2022

Mr Charles Zonicle

Director of Physical Planning,

Ministry of Works & Utilities.

Good day Mr Zonicle,

Further to last night’s Town Planning Meeting and on behalf of myself and my two sisters, we would like to register strong opposition against the application by Adelaide Pines Limited for a proposed gated subdivision in Adelaide.

Adelaide Village is an important historical site and a valuable part of our country’s heritage and patrimony, having been established as a settlement for freed slaves in the 1830s, and, as such, it has for centuries retained its charm and character, as it should for perpetuity.

It is unconscionable that such an abominable development as that proposed by Adelaide Pines Limited on this 21 by 7 island of New Providence, be even remotely considered for such a precious heritage area as Adelaide, which deserves our respect and our protection. It certainly does not deserve another sprawling development! The outlandish scale of 170+ homes along with other commercial and industrial structures (whose prohibitive costs will no doubt and yet again price Bahamians out of the market), the design, the purpose, in fact, the overall nature of the proposed gated development, totally disrespects the character of the area and exhibits no sense of place whatsoever. It is, in itself, offensive to us as Bahamians.

The accompanying total degree of environmental degradation, i.e. the green and blue economies that would be directly and negatively impacted from such construction, cannot be justified, situated as they are proposed on such important wetlands as the many found throughout Adelaide: i.e. pine forests which are home not only to our crucial groundwater - the absolute source of life - but also to our native vegetation like the mangroves with nurseries that are essential for marine life, along with the landscape and wildlife that are all sustainably inter-connected as they have been for centuries in Adelaide. In addition, the concomitant pollution, noise, increased traffic, accompanied by the considerable drain on infrastructure, utilities, etc, are not conducive to healthy lifestyles.

Such lack of regard for the last few areas of beauty and peace that we, as Bahamians, have left in our country, due to constant developments such as this, should not be allowed. The Albany development has already destroyed a considerable portion of the Adelaide area, much to the despair of we, the people. So how many more times are we going to allow ourselves to be ‘hoodwinked and bamboozled’ before we open our eyes and truly ‘see what we lookin’ at’?

The saying: “Talk is cheap and money buy land” is definitely yet another red flag to warn us once again about the tenuous duplicity of greedy developers. It is time for we, the people, to take a firm stand and fiercely protect our rightful patrimony for Bahamians then, now, and into the future!

Therefore, we would like it to strongly state that we utterly oppose any further encroachment of this nature in or around the historic area of Adelaide!

We would be grateful if you would acknowledge receipt of this e-mail, and we thank you for your consideration.

Kind regards,

Pam Burnside,

Stephanie Roberts,

Dr Anita Osman.

Nassau,

September 22, 2022