Treasure Cay project 'desperately needed'

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Treasure Cay development under fire from both locals and environmentalists yesterday said its project could ultimately involve a $10-$20 million investment, and create 100 “desperately needed” jobs, if it was allowed to fulfill its plans.

Tim Blakeley, the Treasure Sands Club’s vice-president, told Tribune Business that the area had “been in a drought for 20 years and we want to get it going”.

Acknowledging that the developers were losing “tens of thousands of dollars” due to the recently issued ‘cease and desist’ order from central government, Mr Blakeley nevertheless expressed optimism that the Christie administration would approve its dredging permit application and it could “get going again”.

He said that, in contrast to statements by the project’s opponents, the Treasure Sands Club had received “overwhelming support” from Abaco locals, second home owners and tourists.

And Mr Blakeley hit out at “armchair environmentalists” and the “propaganda” that had been spread about the development, arguing that it had misrepresented what the project was all about.

“We’re just waiting for central government to sort a few things out, and we will be good to go again,” the Treasure Sands Club executive told Tribune Business. “It’s all there, and we’re just waiting for a stamp and to get going again.

“There’s a few ‘is’ to dot and ‘ts’ to cross, but the project’s definitely for the good of North Abaco. It’s definitely needed.”

Tribune Business understands that the Treasure Cay developer’s dredging permit is now before the Department of Lands and Surveys, which resides in the Prime Minister’s Office, for approval. The Department’s consent is required because the seabed impacted by the dredging is Crown Land.

Organisations ranging from The Treasure Cay Property Owners Association to the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) had previously publicly called for the Government to stop the project, due to the likely environmental impact.

The Treasure Sands Club was given approval by the Government’s National Economic Council (NEC) on May 27 to develop a two-storey, 12-suite hotel with related facilities on the eastern beach front.

The application by the Sand Bar Club and Spa Ltd to develop a Fishing Lodge with a mini pier; a four-slip dock; picnic area; two tennis courts; two car parks; green areas; a yoga hut; nature trails and exercise tract on the western portion of the privately owned 9.2 acre property was also approved.

The situation has now attracted the attention of the Save the Bays environmental group, and one of its directors, attorney Fred Smith QC, has been approached by the project’s opponents about the possibility of taking legal action to block it.

Tribune Business understands that another Judicial Review lawsuit may be imminent, but Mr Blakeley said yesterday he was “not that concerned now” about the prospect of legal action.

He based this on the “overwhelming support” the Treasure Sands Club was receiving for the development from locals, tourists and second homeowners, and added: “It’s a very, very small minority of people who are trying to stop it.

“It’s quite sad. I wouldn’t want to get into why. You’d have to ask them. It is what it is. It’s unfortunate that some people are anti it for the sake of being anti it, and some people don’t like change, but locals and foreigners are overwhelmingly supportive of the project.”

Suggesting that the three-four week stoppage being endured by the developers was “too long”, Mr Blakeley told Tribune Business: “It’s so sad, because Treasure Cay is in desperate need of investment.

“It’s such an amazing beach, but there’s nothing to do here. We’ve got to provide locals, tourists and homeowners with things to do before we build the hotel.

“We want to create some activity in Treasure Cay. Treasure Cay has been in a drought for the past 20 years, and we want to get it going again.”

Mr Blakeley said the developers were looking to construct a “very tasteful” colonial-style village with wooden buildings and Bermuda roofs, plus develop amenities such as a children’s playground; kayaking; paddle boarding; and bonefishing.

He added that 
“contrary to popular belief”, the Treasure Sands Club had removed cars, washing machines and 20 bags of garbage from the nearby creek, and the dredging allowed water to naturally flow and cycle through it once again.

Mr Blakeley asserted that lemon sharks, barracudas, snappers and turtles were once again “swimming up the channel”, while the developers had once again opened up the area to bonefishing enthusiasts. No sustainable fish breeding grounds had previously existed, and when the tide went out it created a bad smell.

“There’s been so much propaganda out there about what we’re trying to do,” he said. “What we’ve dredged now is all we want to do.”

Emphasising that the developers had dredged to a depth of three feet at low tide, Mr Blakeley said there were no plans to develop a marina to attract large boats, or set up a fuel dock.

Instead, the developers wanted to construct a 200-foot boardwalk, and four 25-feet feeder piers, with the focus placed on small boats.

Mr Blakeley told Tribune Business that “the sky’s the limit” when it came to the developers’ plans, with just six acres of the 16-acre site cleared.

Cottages and golf cart tracks were a possibility, he added, along with another restaurant and a small retail village featuring Bahamian businesses.

Mr Blakeley suggested the proposed gym and spa would add 10 jobs, with the second restaurant generating another 15 and, between the developers and third-party businesses, the property could create employment for 100 persons “by the time we’re done”.

“But until we resolve all these problems we’re hamstrung in what we can do,” he told Tribune Business. “Everything is in a holding pattern right now, and it depends on whether we get the go-ahead to do what we want to do.”

If the developers were able to dredge the creek and add bonefishing, Mr Blakeley said their investment could ultimately be “$10 million, $15 million, $20 million”.

Comments

MrAbaco says...

Mr Blakely and the Treasure Sands Club has it all wrong. The protest is not against the entire development of the resort's plans, it is just against a few attachments related to the project as a whole..... Such as dredging bone fish marls, building an unpermitted dock on a beach with out local governments acknowledgement and so on....... No one in it's right mind would refuse a much needed development of any kind, especially in hard economic times as this. No one should be allowed to rape our land for the sake of profit.

Mr Blackley has not yet shown our local government the full scope of his development proposal for review, therefore no one know the resort's full intention. If you listen to his slick words given in the article, it sounds all good for the island, but it's all talk just to get what he wants from the central government.

Posted 27 November 2013, 5:34 p.m. Suggest removal

BigDuffus says...

I was told by someone close to local government that the head of local board was invited to tor the sight with all the departments from Nassau and see all the plans but he could not attend and did not send anyone else. So clearly the whole truth is not out there as some people want it. Papa did not need permits when he dug out this very same place.

Posted 28 November 2013, 6:52 p.m. Suggest removal

Baha10 says...

Mr. Blakeley, Bahamians are neither dump nor desperate, so save your hoodwinking for the more gullible. Who in their right mind would even consider, let alone actual proceed to construct a dock on what is considered to be one of the top 10 beaches in the world! And now, you look for us to believe and trust in what else you have to say?!?

Posted 27 November 2013, 7:12 p.m. Suggest removal

bcitizen says...

I have seen what is going on in Treasure Cay. I can under some very specific circumstances with the proper environmental controls and impact studies maybe (big maybe) allow the dredge on the creek side. The beach on the other hand and the building of a dock on Treasure Cay beach where no other docks exist is disgusting. This is one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world and the dock is a complete affront, insult, disgrace, piece of sh$t and an eyesore to the entire community and to the Bahamas in general.

Posted 27 November 2013, 7:38 p.m. Suggest removal

BigDuffus says...

Funny these project opponents in treasure did not have anything to say when at the time Prime Minister and MP Ingraham dug out this very same place with no permits and no best study and by doing so proved that after dredging out this place that had no water with low tide now has more bone fish and sea life. These opponents are using BNT and save the bays for polical gain by not telling them the whole truth. They never called them when Papa did it.

Posted 28 November 2013, 6:36 p.m. Suggest removal

Canon says...

Mr. Blakely tells many stories! In this article he says that his dredging is completed and then goes onto so say he's waiting on approval to start again to complete. Which is it? A blind man can also see that his dredging (which was done illegally) goes down over ten feet (not the three he suggest) and I don't know of any bonefish boat needing that kind of dept or canals that wide. ITS A MARINA! Plain and simple.

Posted 1 December 2013, 9:13 p.m. Suggest removal

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