Minister of Housing Shane Gibson continues to face strong opposition from the Director of the Bahamas Association for Social Health (BASH) Terry Miller in his efforts to build houses on a parcel of land in Chippingham.
Mr. Miller, the brother of Trade and Industry Minister Leslie Miller, demanded that the government listen to the concerns, and he told reporters on Saturday that he had started a petition to drum up support from others who also believe the land is environmentally sensitive.
The BASH director said that the Perpall Tract well fields should be preserved and the development is being rejected because it would be built on “a national treasure”.
“We have designed a petition to inform the Government of The Bahamas of our desire and we are seeking the support of the larger Bahamian community,” Mr. Miller said. “I say to the people of Chippingham and to the larger community-if we allow this national treasure to be destroyed-our children would pay for generations.”
But Minister Gibson has suggested that Mr. Miller is motivated by self interest and he recently told The Bahama Journal that many residents have informed his team that they are happy that the land is finally being cleared.
On Saturday, Mr. Miller claimed that he had already collected 100 signatures in Chippingham alone and he said scores of volunteers would be seeking additional signatures from across the island.
“We will present 5,000 signatures in two weeks to the Government of The Bahamas, and if that’s not enough we will collect 10,000 or 15,000 until the Ministry of Housing takes notice and listen,” Mr. Miller said. “It is our hope that the minister and staff of his ministry would meet the people within the next two weeks at a town meeting to hear our views and make the right decision.”
The controversy erupted about three weeks ago when the Ministry of Housing began clearing the land on Columbus Drive between Smith’s Street and St. Alban’s Drive.
Housing officials had indicated that 20 acres had been designated for the development of 74 affordable homes, and the remainder would be used for a golf course.
After Mr. Miller and his group objected to the development, Minister Gibson said that the land clearing would be halted while officials from the Bahamas Environment Science and Technology (BEST) Commission carried out a study to determine whether the land was environmentally sensitive.
The housing minister recently reported that BEST determined that the development would not harm the environment and he said the project would move ahead as planned.
But Mr. Miller said the findings of several international experts say otherwise.
According to the BASH director, a report written by Dr. Ethan H. Fried from the University of Tampa revealed that the area contains at least 156 plant species identified, and that given the rapid nature of the assessment the actual number plant species is higher and additional observation is required.
“These areas contain at least 52 species that have been used throughout the islands,” Mr. Miller said. “These include Boxwood, Horse Bush, Cancer Tree, Strong Back, Five Fingers-the list goes on and on.”
Mr. Miller also said that studies done by Frances E. Kuo and William C. Sullivan, two scientists from the University of Illinois, found that inner-city families with trees and greenery in their immediate surroundings have safer domestic environments when compared to those without.
“Greenery helps people to relax and renew, reducing aggression,” Mr. Miller said. “Green spaces bring people together outdoors.”
Minister Gibson said his ministry is mindful that there are trees that should be protected and will identify them so they will be saved.
Mr. Miller acknowledged the minister’s apparent zeal for providing homes for Bahamians and offered a solution to the problem.
He suggested that there was another nearby piece of land that could be cleared for the development.
“We have calculated at least 120 houses [that] could be built along this strip alone,” Mr. Miller said. “If you continue this same process along the new road that will cut through the western boundary of this area, another 150 houses are possible.
“Instead of 74 homes, we are suggesting to the minister he could actually build 274 homes without decimating the forest. We are with you all the way, minister.”
By: Stephen Gay, The Bahama Journal
