EDITOR, The Tribune.

As a resident of South Ocean Village Phase I am an opponent of the foolish rerouting of Adelaide Road to accommodate the high end, gated luxury development of Albany, I feel compelled to respond to The Tribune’s March 21st edition public notice from the Department of Physical Planning concerning the proposed Albany West development.

Firstly, let me say, I may be beating a dead horse. I have researched extensively and could not find a government that has used its powers to take ‘public’ land and give it to a ‘private’ developer to enhance its development. While the reverse is true in many cases, governments have taken private land and used it for public purpose, i.e. to build a school, police station or hospital.

Readers may remember some years ago, Albany or its representatives, attempted to manipulate or force, or approach the homeowners with a view to buying out the homeowners in South Ocean Village Phase I. I recall my now deceased wife telephoning me at my office saying, Pat, there is a man on the property with a measuring tape. Obviously, I raced out there and located the gentleman. However, what I told him cannot be repeated in your column. The point is, when one has money and the government is possibly in their back pockets, they believe they can do anything. At that time, The Tribune published a story with my views and as a result, I received a call from a famous public relations agency, saying a famous lawyer wanted to meet with me and talk about my concerns. I never agreed to the meeting. And quite frankly I was insulted. At that time the intentions of Albany or its representatives went by the wayside and eventually died.

But, according to published reports, the developers of Albany have purchased the now closed South Ocean Village Hotel and its almost surrounding 400 acres.

To those who may not know, South Ocean Village Phase I subdivision is a small subdivision separating the entrance of Albany from the South Ocean Hotel. In fact, the talk was that once Albany buys out South Ocean Village Phase I home-owners, there were plans to reroute South West Bay Road and join Albany into South Ocean Hotel. However, I cannot prove that. But there is some logic to it when one examines all the cooks in the kitchen.

But now they are back or are they? Because I read somewhere that Albany West is not related to the original Albany. According to the notice from the Department of Physical planning, there will be a meeting on April 19th to discuss the revised drawings. I observed they have made some changes with South West Bay Road and went back to its original position. However, that’s not my concern. I am concerned with the following:

According to the latest notice, it talks about 16 acres for the Albany West development. Let me say, I’m very familiar with the South Ocean area and all its surrounding areas. I have a copy of the master survey plan of the entire area inclusive of the hotel’s property, South Ocean Village Phase I and the lots on South Ocean Boulevard. The waterfront being described is 16 acres. I challenge the Department of Physical Planning to prove its 16 acres, unless the developer reclaimed a lot of the beach. And if it isn’t 16 acres how was the approved number of condominiums and other amenities really approved by the department? The question I need answered is, was the policy of the department compromised to approve the number of units for the proposed condominiums? In the department’s initial notice on November 2nd 2020, it talks about two luxury condo nine stories high. It doesn’t talk about how many units will be in each building. The number of units should be relative to the size of the land.

Will there be a 10ft high ugly prison wall encompassing Albany West? Like the one at the original Albany. South Ocean Village Phase I has one entrance and that is also used as an exit. I doubt the home-owners there will want to be greeted by an ugly prison wall each time they enter or exit their community.

What are the future plans for the almost 400 acres and the South Ocean hotel? The notice says, future development. What is ‘really’ future development? Obviously, I’m not saying that the developer should know specifically what he/she intends to do. But you must have some idea what you would like to accomplish. At least, in principal the home-owners of South Ocean Village Phase I ought to have been given that respect.

Additionally, the developer is now proposing to put a pathway, according to the notice in the area of the now closed Stuart’s Cove Marina, where the rocks are so sharp if you slip and hit your head, you may very well bleed to death. So, you now have the original developer New Providence Development Co whom initially had advised the home-owners that access to the beach was a part of the deal when they purchased are nowhere to be found. And the new developer telling the residents, buddy your skin too dark to use the entrance the ‘other’ people are using.

So there you have it folks. The foreign developers enter your country and do whatever they like. One wonders when our elected men and women are at the table, whom are they looking out for or speaking on behalf of. Or are the Negroes so excited to be in the midst of white people, they are just happy to be there? While we continue to get the sharp end of the stick.

I am of the view that there is a bigger plan to this scenario. My pa was born here. My ma was born here. My grampa, my gramma were born here. I didn’t wash up on shore like seaweed. Why, why should I have to always have in the back of my mind, what is the next thing these Negroes are going to give permission for. What about the generation after me and the one after. Is the plan to weed you out and have you return to cut the grass, clean the kitchen and wash out the bathroom?

PAT STRACHAN

Nassau,

March, 2022.