Minister lists safeguards to Tucker’s Point SDO
Government has put several safeguards in place to protect the environmentally important Rosewood Tucker’s Point land during proposed development.Last week Government announced it had granted in-principle planning approval for the hotel to build 78 residences and 70 hotel rooms on the 240-acre site through a special development order (SDO).Yesterday, Environment Minister Walter Roban responded to environmentalists’ criticism that Government is disregarding important protected lands and preventing the public from having a say in the matter.He said Government has gone to great lengths to ensure the environment is protected through stringent conditions.The SDO requires the owners to get final planning approval before any construction begins.Mr Roban said: “This [process] includes the normal public notification, public review, comment and appropriate objection.”He added one of the conditions attached to the SDO is that any identifiable habitats or existing mature endemic, native or ornamental plants must be recorded, protected and provided a buffer from development.He added the Government has gone to “great lengths” to avoid disturbing caves the Bermuda National Trust call globally important.“For example, as a condition of the SDO, any existing or newly discovered cave features on the proposed development sites will require a subterranean topographical survey be completed by a qualified cave survey specialist to geo-reference the cave voids for terrestrial development potential considerations,” he said. “All mapped caves, cave features and new caves will require a minimum setback buffer of 30 feet for all structures and excavation.”Mr Roban said the development must also be designed in a way that tanks are shallower than usual, no greater than 4ft deep.“No excavation will exceed 4ft due to potential contact and impact with known or unknown cave systems and any required sewage trenching deeper than 4ft must rely on test boreholes to demonstrate that such trenching works will not compromise an undiscovered cave,” he added.The development will also be prohibited from using underground wells for sewage and all cables cannot be placed more than 3ft below the ground.The SDO, available on this paper’s website, also stipulates that several sites of the development will require a conservation management plan.If passed the first stage of development will see 19 private residences built. The lots which the residences will be built on will range from 10,700 sq ft to 85,180 sq ft on a total of 10.7 acres. The company’s website currently has private residences for sale for $3.4 million.Last night the Government and Opposition whips were not able to say if the SDO would be discussed in the House of Assembly.l Related websites: www.tuckerspoint.com, www.rosewoodhotels.com.