Great Guana Cay, The Abacos – The developers of Baker’s Bay Golf and Ocean properties situated at the north end of Great Guana Cay, South Abaco, are anxious to fully restart that project. This was expressed to the Leader of the Opposition Hubert Ingraham and a contingent of FNM parliamentarians during a tour of the property on Thursday.
Mike Meldman, chief executive officer of the company, told the parliamentarians in no uncertain terms that Baker’s Bay is anxious and ready to fast-track the project, including the construction of a marina and golf course. Mr Ingraham, however, chose not to take sides in the dispute, but expressed how “very impressed” he was with Guana Cay while “very conscious” of the concerns of the community.
Looming over the Baker’s Bay projects is a court injunction served by residents of Great Guana Cay. The last court appearance was in November 2005. Prior to a guided tour of the property, the FNM contingent had a brief meeting attended by most of the cay’s 120 permanent residents, who are fishermen.
The visit, at the invitation of the developers, was arranged as a result of an on-going dispute between the developers and local residents of Great Guana Cay, who have taken the developers to court, contending that the planned construction of a golf course and marina will precipitate catastrophic damage to the environment.
Troy Don Albury, a businessman and chief spokesman for the residents, cited reports from independent marine biologists indicating that if the project is allowed to go forward the reefs would be dead in five years.
He stated passionately: “There’s nothing in it for me. I’m fighting this for my kids. When the reef is dead who’s gonna bring it back?” Dr Livingston Marshall, senior vice-president environmental and community affairs, expressed that it is the developer’s plan “to ensure that we strike the right balance between the environment and the development.”
“We have assembled here in Baker’s Bay one of the largest in-house environmental monitoring teams … add to that eight people from the University of Miami working to help us to understand what’s happening with the environment.
“We have been working this area for the past two years or so gathering baseline information … only over a period of time can you begin to understand what the natural cycles are.
“Let’s not create a problem to begin with that we would have to worry about later on down the line,” explained Dr Marshall, “that’s the approach we’re taking with the marina, the golf course … that’s the approach we’re taking in general in terms of developing this project.”
The Baker’s Bay project consists of 600 acres on which investors plan to develop a marina, golf course and second homes.
By: NORMAN ROLLE, Weekender Editor, The Nassau Guardian
