GOVERNMENT is compromising practices designed to safeguard Bermuda's uniqueness in order to cater to the demands of the wealthy and the powerful, a local environmentalist believes.The charge was laid by former head of Government's Sustainable Development Roundtable Stuart Hayward, following the announcement that Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield had granted Planning permission to former Premier Sir John Swan to build a ten-storey office building in the City of Hamilton.

And the Bermuda National Trust expressed its concern over the decision, calling on Government to establish "a coherent and cohesive policy regarding higher building heights".

Plans to build Seon Place were initially rejected by the Development Applications Board (DAB) because the proposed ten-storey structure violated the City of Hamilton Plan 2001. Sir John appealed the decision. It was overturned by the Environment Minister on February 12.

Yesterday, Mr. Hayward cautioned that the move could be the first step towards the island's transformation into a metropolis not unlike Chicago, Hong Kong, Malta or New York.

"I think we put in place planning regulations, legislation and policies specifically to prevent buildings that are out of character with Bermuda," he said.

"It's unfortunate that those guidelines can be stretched or even broken through an appeal process that (addresses the argument of) a single person rather than the expertise of the Development Applications Board or Planning legislation."

He added that great effort had been made to preserve Bermuda against becoming an urban mass, "but that seems to be where we are headed. All the energy and wisdom taken to preserve us as distinct seems to be overridden by those with power and money. It does not bode well for our future as a tourist resort or for the social fabric of the island."

Mr. Hayward was appointed to the Sustainable Development Roundtable by former Premier Alex Scott, who championed the concept as a means of preserving the island for future generations and uniting residents in a common cause.

The environmentalist was axed from the position after Ewart Brown took over as Premier and replaced with former Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson, an act he attributes to his "vigorous high-profile defence of the principles of sustainable development".

Seon Place is planned for one of Hamilton's gateway sites on Front Street — a plot of land between Spurling Hill and King Street which was cleared and excavated years ago and currently sits unused.

In granting its approval, Mrs. Butterfield paved the way for the tallest office building in Bermuda's history.

"The City Plan allows for a maximum five-storey development at that site," the Minister's Permanent Secretary Wayne Carey said in explaining her decision to The Royal Gazette.

"However, where a development extends through an entire city block, the maximum height of the development is determined by the higher grade.

"In the case of Seon Place, this means a seven-storey building (plus use of roof space) is allowed under the City Plan since Reid Street is two storeys higher than Front Street at that location.

"In this instance the decision of the Minister was to uphold the appeal taking into account the views of the objectors as well as the developer."

Mrs. Butterfield's decision came amid a push by Hamilton Mayor Sutherland Madeiros to introduce high-rise office and apartment buildings into the City. The Mayor, along with other City leaders, is now in the process of reviewing the City of Hamilton Plan and determining how height restrictions might be altered.

An initial objector to the proposal, the Trust yesterday said it recognised the potential taller buildings afforded — less traffic congestion, reduced development pressure — however, a policy should first be established before they were allowed in the City.

"The recent approval, on appeal, of a ten-storey building on Front Street is considerably outside the regulations of the City of Hamilton Plan 2001, and we fear that the consequences of embarking on a programme of ad-hoc development in the City will have a detrimental impact on the quality of life on the island and the Corporation, for years to come," a spokesperson said.

"The controversy of this approval and the division of opinion surrounding building heights and locations within the City indicates the need for the Government to establish a coherent and cohesive policy regarding higher building heights."

Asked if he felt the decision on Seon Place should have been made after such a review was completed, Mr. Hayward said: "It would certainly make (Seon Place) more legitimate in the eyes of the public.

"It's disturbing when a powerful individual or organisation is allowed to stretch the envelope and set a precedent that makes a mockery of the thought that has gone into our development plans."

Questioned whether this signalled the end of the island's traditional skyline, the environmentalist pointed out that the Bank of Bermuda headquarters was even more controversial when it was built at Albuoy's Point.

"Humans have the ability to adapt, but one of the things that distinguishes us from other species is that we can plan and, based on past experiences, predict how things turn out," he said.

"There have been very good reasons why we have tried not to make Bermuda into just any other metropolis."

Asked whether the move gelled with sustainable development as he understood it, Mr. Hayward said: "Anyone reading through the Sustainable Development Plan would say it absolutely runs outside of most of it.

"The Sustainable Development initiative is rather new. I doubt that the roundtable certainly, had an opportunity to discuss this. This (application) is one we all assumed would have to go back to the drawing board because it was turned down by the DAB."

Mr. Hayward said the lesson to be learned was that concerned Bermudians needed to be more proactive.

"It's clear that citizens are going to have to be more motivated, more aware, to push for a higher degree of democracy in decisions like this. The City of Hamilton is not just for businesses, what happens in Hamilton affects all of us."

Hayward hits out over Seon Place