The redevelopment of the Fairmont Southampton Hotel is a polarising event for Bermuda, especially angering those living close to what will soon be a construction site.

"It’s a disaster,” said Al Dunkle, who resides in the shadow of the pink edifice.

A special development order was approved by the Minister of Home Affairs last week, allowing the massive and long-delayed project to go ahead.

It will involve the reconditioning of the hotel, built in 1972, and the addition of up to 159 tourism and 91 residential units around the hotel, which overlooks Horseshoe Bay.

The project has been pilloried by environmental groups, and was rejected by the Government’s own planning apparatus.

“I just think that this is really short-sighted when there are plenty other options they could be doing,” Mr Dunkle said.

“It’s just very disappointing and sad,” he added.

Mr Dunkle, 70, has been a resident in the area since 2015. His house abuts the hotel property.

He said that when he first moved in, a planning developer promised him that the area would never be developed because of its scenic beauty.

Since the announcement of the SDO, he and several neighbours have made multiple complaints against the project.

He lists his concerns: “the mess, the density, the scale and the traffic”.

Mr Dunkle said that now that the SDO has been approved, he expects years of noisy construction, dust and disturbances.

He added: “There are multiple locations that have brownfield and open empty space.

“These guys want to build to the mass, density and scale that they plan to build here.

“Why don’t they do it on a brown field? Why do they have to do it on an open-spaced golf course?

“I’m just shocked that they would do this.”

Vanessa Bartley, 43, said that the approval would spark the change necessary to move forward.

She lives near the site, but not as close as Mr Dunkle.

She explained that “sustainable change” was going to be needed for all parties to be happy and that eventually the public would have to accept an SDO.

Ms Bartley added: “While I think that open space is very important, especially for an island as small as Bermuda, continuously the community has asked for change, whether it be that we need lower housing costs or more people on the island, yet when initiatives for drastic change come into place, then we are unhappy.

“At some point, in order for us to move forward, we need change — we just need to determine how we are going to manage our change, rather than stopping it altogether.”

Ms Bartley said that she used to work for the Southampton Princess for eight years, and knew that the hotel always had plans to develop.

She added that because of the decrepit state of the hotel, it might have to be completely reconstructed.

“Something’s got to happen to that property one way or another, but I can’t see it being developed the way people think that it will be,” Ms Bartley added.

“I think that by the time they come to a conclusion, it’s going to have to be levelled.”

Barbara Sleeter, 66, said that she does not believe there will be a large environmental impact from the project.

“It’s not like it’s park land or agricultural land. It’s land that is private, and they should be allowed to develop it,” she said.

Ms Sleeter did describe the level of planned development as “overkill”.

She explained that it would create too many residential spaces that would simply not be affordable for the average Bermudian.

Instead, she predicted that they would be used for holiday homes, which could still boost the economy through the employment of housekeepers and attracting wealthy foreigners.

“I think ultimately it will be a good thing for Bermuda, but it’s still in the early days,” Ms Sleeter said.

“But we need it — and what are our options?”