By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

Nearby residents yesterday described as "a foregone conclusion" the swift preliminary approval granted to New Providence's new hospital by the Town Planning Committee.

Despite homeowners in nearby communities voicing fears that flooding, noise pollution, increased traffic and a higher risk of crime made the Perpall Tract site inappropriate for the $285.25m hospital, the planning regulator yesterday announced it has granted the preliminary go-ahead within just three days of the public consultation and hearing.

“We were pretty certain they were going to be in favour of it,” Barbara Hepburn, president of the Grove West Homeowners Association, said. “We just didn't know to what extent. So at least they have conditional approval, which is still better than outright approval. And hopefully our concerns could be heard and attended to in order for them to move to the final stages.

“We pretty much knew it was going to be somewhat approved, because we were told before it was approved in principle, and they had the certificate from the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection. So it's a government project, a government department. It's highly unlikely that they will rule against what the Government and the Cabinet decided.

"So we pretty much knew the direction in which it was going. But we were happy at least we were able to voice our complaints or our issues with the Department of Physical Planning. In that way, they can at least take into account what we said and what our concerns are.”

Cecil Ferguson, president of the Silver Cay Club homeowners association, during the Town Planning Committee hearing noted that during three other meetings called to discuss the new hospital, Dr Michael Darville, minister of health and wellness, “spoke as if it was a foregone conclusion” and requested statistical information on the amount of objections be provided.

“I asked him that for a reason,” Mr Ferguson said. “Because at each of the meetings, they collected information from those of us who participated in those sessions. They wanted to know our personal details, as well as why we were objecting to the proposal and so on and so forth. And so they have, I'm sure, statistics on just how much opposition they got to the project.

“So now that they've decided to move forward, which is absolutely no surprise to me, it's like, what do we do? It's annoying. It's disappointing, because we put these people in place to serve us, not to impose their will on us.

"And that's the point that I was making also in the meeting, because my main point to him was you just seem like you're pushing forward. You're not listening to the people. Even in his responses, the minister, that is, he was very dismissive in terms of answering questions. He never answered directly.”

The approval granted to New Providence's new hospital was made on that the Government provides “drainage control measures on the site subject to the approval of the civil design section of the Ministry of Works & Family Island Affairs”.

It must also provide “detailed access and circulation design drawings for review and approval by the Ministry of Works and Family Island Affairs”. Both Ms Hepburn and Mr Ferguson believe those conditions will not ease any of their concerns, the latter adding that he has “zero confidence” these conditions will be met.

“Well, he [Dr Darville] was dismissive of all the other points, and opposition and concerns that were raised by all of those residents in the neighbouring communities,” Mr Ferguson said. “The Government will be equally dismissive. So I have zero confidence that they will meet any of those conditions. And just how every person who was in that room on Tuesday spoke against the project, none of that amounted to anything...

“And some of us were representing not just ourselves, but we were representing communities. So I was there as president of the homeowners association of Silver Cay Club, which is a community of 43 residents, as I'd indicated in the meeting.

"And Ms Barbara Hepburn, she was there representing Grove West Homeowners Association. And she was representing at least about 300 of us, because I also have a home in Grove West. I have two properties, like I said, within a quarter mile radius of that hospital, and another property some two or three miles away from there. So three times' over, I'm a concerned citizen and resident,” he added.

“What it what is so disheartening is that, I think to get to the point where the people that we elect don't serve the interest that we put them there to serve, that's very disappointing.” Ms Hepburn said while the conditions stipulated may benefit the hospital site, they do not help surrounding communities.

“They probably will be able to raise the site and do whatever is necessary to build within the well field or in the vicinity, but for the immediate neighbourhoods, once that is done, the water now will have to find some place to go, which will be the neighbourhoods,” Ms Hepburn said.

“And for me, I'm talking about the one west of the highway, which is the Grove West and the Vista Marina. Vista Marina was the one that was heavily flooded, and was underwater with just a tropical storm. So now, if they build up their site according to what is necessary, I'm not seeing how they're going to mitigate against flooding in our area. So I would want to see something how they will deal with that for us.

“For instance, in Vista Marina, will they develop a catch pond on the corner just when you enter Vista Marina from the highway, because the water flows from there to our area. So I'm not seeing anything concerning how they will address flooding in the surrounding area, which will be created once they decide how they will contain or work within the water table where they're putting the hospital. They're talking about them, but they're not talking about us.”

Ms Hepburn added that the conditions imposed do not address traffic concerns, as there is often congestion stemming from the six-legged roundabout. Noise is still an issue, notwithstanding the potential addition of constant sirens. She also called attention to the rise in crime in the area, suggesting that if the hospital is built the Government should invest in the installation of CCTV on the streets.