Dear Sir,

Approximately 1,000 objection signatures, plus numerous individual letters of objection regarding the application by Shelly Bay Beach House, have been presented to the Department of Planning by the published deadline of January 29.

Shelly Bay Beach House, under Tom Steinhoff and partner, had applied to the Director of Planning to establish a parking lot for its proposed restaurant, on a popular green picnic area and adjacent to the popular Shelly Bay Children’s Playground. It also poses the potential of endangering the viability of the small nearby mangrove swamp.

A community meeting was held at Francis Patton School on Tuesday evening and the 250 attendees overwhelmingly objected to the plan of putting a parking lot anywhere on the green picnic areas of Shelly Bay, as they are well used by the community for picnics, camping, celebrations and general play.

The notification of the proposed attempt to make this planned parking lot exclusive to the restaurant patrons was also rejected by attendees of the community meeting.

Also on Friday, community representatives had a meeting with Craig Cannonier, the Minister of Public Works, Mr Steinhoff, the developer, and officers of the works department and the parks department. Both sides shared their perceptions of the impact of this plan. Mr Steinhoff was asked to withdraw his application on the basis that community objection was very strong and that he was encroaching on the public’s free use of public land for a private enterprise. Mr Steinhoff’s main argument was that he does not want his patrons to have to walk to the restaurant in the rain. The rebuttal suggested that every popular waterside restaurant in Bermuda has as long a walk — even in the rain — and it has been proven that it is the product, not the parking, which is of utmost concern to patrons.

Another argument considered that Mr Steinhoff wants this parking area to be exclusive to his patrons. This is not possible and would prove illegal because it is on public property. Therefore, anyone can park there for the beach or the playground, which would nullify the reason for its existence.

Community representatives presented workable alternative solutions to this impasse, to which consideration was promised by both Mr Steinhoff and the minister. Shelly Bay Beach and Park is the only public beach, and the best and most popular beach area on the North Shore in Bermuda. The community have made it so successful and feel that Mr Steinhoff is appropriating the community and cultural success only for his own financial benefit.

Mr Steinhoff has demonstrated no sensitivity to this matter and, after seeming to listen and appearing amenable in our presence, has opted to create a private Facebook page to attempt to sway persons to support him.

He has been told the history of when a certain segment of the community could not freely use this beach. It has been explained that he will deny children free play space and that parking in the area hinders the safety of the children. He has been told that parents relax in this area as they watch their children play. It has been explained that the viability of the Mangrove Swamp will be threatened and he has the knowledge that this is a well-used and popular picnic area for residents. It would appear to us that the dollar signs in his eyeballs restrict him from seeing or feeling any of this.

Friday’s meeting also highlighted the serious need for public bathrooms to be installed for the Shelly Bay Field and for the existing public toilets to be renovated and maintained for the use of beachgoers. Mr Steinhoff has made no promises regarding such. As a matter of fact, the bathrooms remain one of his unresolved issues with the Department of Works.

Mr Steinhoff realises that his reasoning is feeble and that his argument is weak. He is therefore backing it up with promises of providing jobs. That is only a distraction from the very negative impact that is this foolish and selfish idea of a parking lot on popular public picnic grounds.

CHERYL-ANN GRIFFIN (On behalf of the community objecting to the proposed parking lot at Shelly Bay Beach)