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Wednesday, 09 April 2008 |
 Southlands Move to Morgan’s Point
Greenrock’s Response - April 9, 2008
Greenrock is pleased by the swap of Southlands for Morgan’s Point and believes this compromise truly represents a ‘win-win-win’ scenario for all the parties involved in this deal:
A) A ‘win’ for Government in that it is able to continue with its ‘courting’ of the Jumeriah Brand to the Bermuda shores;
B) A ‘win’ for Southlands Ltd in that it gets a larger track of land that can be designed with more amenities and helps to minimize the ‘negative publicity’ targeted at their group by local activists; and
C) A ‘win’ for groups like BEST and the National Trust who actively lobbied against Government, and with the media’s support has come out of this ordeal somewhat ‘victorious’.
At this present stage however, Greenrock feels there are a number of
open questions that need to be answered. We believe that the people of
Bermuda, through its Government, are entitled to learn more about:
1. What guidelines will Government use in order to ensure that Morgan’s
Point is developed from a sustainable perspective? The current
Development Plan that Government uses to oversee all development
projects in Bermuda is outdated. Every six years, it is prudent to
update the Plan to ensure building codes, zones and development
guidelines are kept to a standard so that we avoid over development.
This Development Plan has already missed two critical update
anniversaries.
2. Which Ministry or department is responsible for the development of
Morgan’s Point? Was this the same Ministry or department that brokered
the ‘swap’ between Southlands and Morgan’s Point? Is this same Ministry
or department responsible for the remediation of Morgan’s Point? Is
this same Ministry or department responsible for the Master Plan for
Morgan’s Point? Finally, if there is a Master Plan, who is responsible
for creating, managing and ultimately owning this Plan?
3. Did the original project at Southlands have foreign backers (aside
from Duperreault, Hunt and Christensen, who own Southlands Ltd) and, if
so, did they continue to support the project after it moved to Morgan’s
Point? In this current financial crunch due to the sub-prime fiasco, is
it realistic that such a luxury resort hotel property will be funded
and built prior to the sale of its fractional ownership properties? How
have the delays in this project affected the investment expectation of
the local and foreign financial backers? Will the pressure of time be
balanced against doing what is right for Bermuda (in the short and long
term)?
4. In cleaning up the hazardous waste at Morgan’s Point, who will cover
the risk of future claims in case the remediation of the land is not
properly followed? Are Southlands and Jumeriah taking on the long-term
risk of the remediation or is Government (hence, the general public)
taking this risk? How will Government indemnify itself from exposure to
long-term risks if remediation is not done successfully?
Given the increasing (re)development across our island in recent years,
Greenrock has been actively researching large construction projects
that have deployed sustainable development techniques via a Master
Plan. In doing this research, Greenrock was fortunate enough to meet
and learn about the Trust for Sustainable Development based in
Victoria, B.C., Canada, with offices in Scottsdale, Arizona. Since
1994, This Trust has been actively engaged in the planning and creation
of sustainable buildings and towns. Mr. David Butterfield is the
Founder of the Trust and we were fortunate enough to meet in Bermuda.
He has since accepted an invitation to join the Greenrock Advisory
Panel detailed on our website in the People section .
Greenrock and Mr. Butterfield strongly believe that Morgan’s Point
could be the catalyst to create a new paradigm for sustainability in
Bermuda. Morgan’s Point provides a rare and unique development
opportunity to display the best sustainable development practices that
exist today. A development project that embraces sustainable techniques
will not only be an extremely important global example but will also
attract visitors to Bermuda to experience and learn about the
sustainability aspects of the project alone. Greenrock encourages
Government and those involved in this project to consider the
opportunity that Morgan’s Point presents if executed properly,
thoughtfully, and with sustainability in mind.
Sustainable development, as defined by the United Nations’ Brundtland
Commission, is “meeting the needs of the present generation without
sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Simply put, sustainable development encompasses three primary areas:
economic, social and ecological.
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Economic sustainability means that the development creates jobs and economic opportunities and is itself economically viable.
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Social sustainability requires that a development improve the health
and welfare of a region, while at the same time respecting and
embracing its unique culture.
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Ecological sustainability means preserving and enhancing the ecosystem locally and globally.
It is where these objectives overlap and reinforce each other that true sustainability exists. Greenrock would like to see more development in Bermuda as a conscious
and positive part of the global ecosystem and the local community.
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