Just as undergraduate Andrew Pettit was trying to decide what he should choose for his senior project at Toronto's Ryerson School of Urban and Regional Planning, he heard that the Canadian Armed Forces would be vacating their base at Daniel's Head in Sandys Parish by the end of the year, in 1993.

In Bermuda, this news was greeted with animated, and sometimes, heated discussions on how Government should utilise this unexpected windfall. After all, the sudden freeing up of 17 acres was big news for tiny, land-starved Bermuda. Property developers licked their acquisitive lips, while conservationists dreamed of a green utopia of pristine nature trails.

For Mr. Pettit, a dream project had unexpectedly fallen into his lap, and -- presumably -- one that caused a pang or two of envy from his peers as they laboured away on such comparatively mundane topics as building inventories for the city of Toronto, or future policy alternatives on `twin' cities.

Mr. Pettit's year-long project, entitled Land Use Study of the Daniel's Head Area, Sandys Parish, Bermuda, earned him an A .

He prefaces his Study with an introduction to Bermuda's vital statistics and a brief history of Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Bermuda. The area had originally been purchased by the British Royal Navy in 1809 along with land at Ireland Island but was not developed until the First World War when it was briefly used as a Royal Navy wireless station. Bermuda regained title of the land in 1961, but with the arrival of the Cold War, leased it to Canada for use as a hush-hush submarine tracking station.

The 160-page report is accompanied by Mr. Pettit's own photographs and several hand-coloured maps and site plans. Prior to writing and illustrating his study over the space of two vacations, he spent many hours interviewing members of Government, Canadian base personnel and people from the Department of Housing.

He stresses that the suggestions contained in his report were entirely his own, and have not, in any way, been endorsed by Planning Department where he is now employed as a Trainee Planner. He readily admits, too, that his final choice for the future of Daniel's Head, was partly chosen for fulfilling the requirements of his course -- "and, hopefully, help Bermuda at the same time!'' He did, however, write his project with Planning Department policies in mind, best summed up, he says, in their proposed adoption of `sustainable development', as set out by them in their background reports for the 1992 Planning Statement. In a nutshell, he explains, this means that development should be related to future as well as present needs, and, secondly, to recognise environmental limitations. This led Mr. Pettit to the conclusion that instead of a single-use development of the site, a multi-use strategy would make more sense.

He came up with four multi-use options and, from them, finally selected one.

His conclusion was that Daniel's Head would be a suitable location for a three-prong facility combining a park, retirement cottages and a daycare/after-school centre.

He was guided by careful study of past and present uses for Daniel's Head, realising that the two were inextricably linked. As he wrote in his Site Analysis Summary, "...because of its history as a two-time military base and as a leased farm (of seven acres), little in the way of thought has been given to what the land could be used for on a permanent basis. Development has gone on everywhere around it, while it itself, has sat in almost `suspended animation', awaiting the day when it would come of age for development. On the highly developed lands of Bermuda there are very few properties existing that combine the tranquil beauty, openness and sheer size that this site possesses.'' Mr. Pettit points out that because of the low-lying nature of the `end' of the Head, that area would be unsuitable for any kind of housing development, due to possible storm surges and the fact that any foundations dug would soon hit sea water. It has already been established that fresh water wells are not an option. He says also, that the steep western slope of the Daniel's Head hill makes it unsuitable for `heavy' development. Another drawback to any high-density development is the lack of access to major road systems and narrow paths and roadways in the area itself.

"The end area is already being used as a park, and it would make sense to keep it that way. It's a wonderful area for a park, as there is already a nature reserve, with beautiful beaches and coves. It's tranquil, as it's not surrounded by houses, and just off the Head you have the wreck of HMS Vixen where people go to look at the fish. Then, there are the reefs themselves, and Daniel's Head Fort on the little island opposite.'' He adds that the park concept would go a long way in providing much-needed extra recreation and camping opportunities on this very overcrowded Island.

For this reason, he is adamantly against the idea of any kind of `theme' park: "This would generate too much traffic and would destroy the considerable scenic value of the area.'' "When I was planning this project, I came across a startling fact, one which no one seems to be paying much attention to, and that is our ageing population. In 1991, nine percent of the population was over 65 and by the year 2000 it will be 12.5 percent. This is a very high proportion. Where are they all going to go? So, partly to practise my skills on a project that was quite complex in scope, I decided to design a community for senior `supportive housing' -- a sort of Lantana Club for the aged. By using existing buildings just inside the gate for their day care, there would also be room for a daycare/after-school centre. This would accommodate a very popular trend in Canada right now, which is to mix generations. Also, it's important to make the best possible use of buildings that are already there.'' Admitting that the cottages he has designed are small, Mr. Pettit maintains that for those who are still able to fend for themselves, the size is compensated by the privacy afforded by a cottage. He has made provision for a seniors' complex with medical facilities and a hospital area upstairs -- provided by an existing building.

Andrew Pettit, who attended Saltus Grammar School before obtaining his Bachelor of Applied Arts from Ryerson Polytechnic University, says that he became interested in planning as a career after working as a junior draftsman for local architect Lawrence Brady, and then with Barker and Linberg. Now, he is employed as a trainee planner with Government's Department of Planning.

"Of course, when I started the study on Daniel's Head, we had no idea that both the American and Royal Navy bases were going as well,'' he explains.

"This probably means that there is not nearly so much pressure to make Daniel's Head into a money-making scheme and it would seem a wonderful opportunity to give some of Bermuda back to Bermudians, especially with the park aspect. In any event,'' he concludes with a laugh, "I put down my ideas to be critiqued, to get people looking at the options we have, and, hopefully, to get the ideas rolling.'' HEAD-START -- This is how trainee planner Mr. Andrew Pettit sees the future of Daniel's Head in Sandys.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE -- Mr. Andrew Pettit, pictured at the former top secret Canadian Forces base at Daniel's Head, stands in front of some of the buildings he would like to see utilised in any future developments for the area.