Four Letters: In Support of the SDO

Bernews has received four additional letters of support from staff members at Tucker’s Point, detailing their reasons for supporting the SDO which will be debated in the Senate tomorrow. They follow in full below:

Winfield Chuck Simpson, Maintenance Department:

Out of respect, and support to Mr. Ed Trippe and the Tuckers Point Club Associates regarding the proposed S.D.O.

I am thankful and happy with my employment at T.P.C and would like to share with you my Mother’s and my appreciation to the respect, concern and interest of our family ancestry grave site located at the foot of the Tuckers Point Golf-Club driving range Tuckers Town St. Georges. We thank the Trippe family, and the T.P.C Grounds men for cleaning and clearing up the overgrowth to the gravesite.

As to the Historical Society of Tuckers Town, I was a member and chose not to be a part of this organization due to the fact that there seemed to be a conflict of interest between myself and them.

1… my concerns for instance was to acknowledge Josiah Smith, who he was, his business, and his purpose and pleasure when he existed.

2… their concerns seemed to be only focused on relatives they claim to be buried either in or around the gravesite at Tuckers Point Club they don’t like the idea of golf balls being hit over the gravesite.

Also they believe the land and home owners were taken advantage of by under payment for their property and homes during those transactions.

However I disagree in supporting their issues because I have learned differently.. I believe them to be a group that is not helping the matter in full truth and therefore contributing to confusion, deceit, and misunderstandings. There are recorded documentation indicating those property sales and transactions as just and fair during that era.

We support the Tuckers Point Development 100% and we are thankful that Mr. Trippe and the Government have chosen and shown their concern in Bermuda’s hospitable and Tourism services and industry which in long term will create work for our locals in the hospitality industry, as well as construction tradesmen, and landscapers.

Isn’t it also somewhat ironic that some of the families that were instrumental in removing the original families from their property against their will to create a tourist resort are now facing a similar circumstance?

Sean Pitcher, Night Manager, Tucker’s Point:

Please allow me to present a case for the SDO.

Tucker’s Point directly employs 243 employees, over 90% are Bermudian. Our Food & Beverage sub-contractor employs a further 75, many of whom are Bermudian, or the spouse of a Bermudian. Without the SDO, those jobs will be lost. While the non-Bermudians can go elsewhere and work, most of the remaining employees will be forced to seek employment during the worst economic downturn that the island has seen in recent memory. It will be very difficult for them to find comparable jobs in the hospitality industry. The jobs simply do not exist any longer.

Our Tourism industry has been declining for several years and is in dire straits. If Tucker’s Point is allowed to fail, that decline will continue, jeopardizing Bermuda’s reputation as a destination in our overseas markets. Our current reliance on large numbers of cruise passengers is not working. While welcome, the economic benefit to the island’s economy is minimal. These tourists simply do not spend the type of money that land based visitors do. Our tourism industry has reached such a low that even taxis are being repossessed. Who could have ever imagined such a situation in Bermuda? Our tourist industry is in dire need of a bold, imaginative and innovative intervention. The Tucker’s Point Hotel and the proposed partnership with Rosewood Hotels represent that new direction for Bermuda.

We need less people with more, as opposed to more people with less. It is a fact of life that billionaires play with other billionaires, and millionaires with other millionaires. At the moment they are playing at Tucker’s Point. The development represents a different model of tourism, one that targets the extremely wealthy. In addition to offering Bermuda’s only 5 star hotel, the resort offers individuals the opportunity to invest in Bermuda, through the purchase of the fractional units or individual homes, demonstrating their confidence in Bermuda. These owners spend more time here, and inject far more money into the local economy. Tucker’s Point guests and members are encouraged to experience restaurants and activities off the property. They utilize rental cycles and taxis and support local retail businesses.

It has been argued that Tucker’s Point should go into receivership and new owners be found. That option, while attractive in theory, simply does not work in the hospitality business. Resort hotels, especially high end properties, sell more than just rooms; they market expectations and provide experiences. Hotels use advance deposits to secure rooms. No-one will send money to a hotel if they are unsure that the hotel will be in business when they want to take their vacations.

Those opposed to the Tucker’s point expansion would have you believe that the property will be come a sea of concrete. They conveniently forget that Tucker’s Point are donating environmentally fragile land to the Bermuda Government to be preserved forever. The SDO also contains protections and sets out building conditions that must be complied with. Progress often requires sacrifice. My grandparents were required to sell their land in St. David’s during WWII. However, most would agree that the Island has benefitted from the military bases and the airport that resulted from that development.

There has been a great deal of attention to the manner in which the land was acquired from its former owners 88 years ago. This is a story that needs to be told. However, this is being used as a reason to reject the SDO. I argue the opposite; this is a compelling reason to support the SDO. The land was compulsorily taken in order to facilitate the development of a tourist industry. While we can’t reverse the past, this history places a responsibility on Bermuda, and an obligation on the hotel developer to ensure that the tourism product established on that land to be the best, most successful resort that can be developed. That opportunity exists with the further development of Tucker’s Point. To allow Tucker’s Point to fail now would render the sacrifice made by those families in vain. That would be the real tragedy.

Thank you for sparing the time to read this submission. I am aware of the great pressure on you from a small, vociferous, environmental lobby, which makes up for in volume what it lacks in size. Please, I pray, do not let the noise dissuade you from making a difficult but necessary decision, one that will have a major effect on Bermuda’s economic future. My livelihood (and home) depend on the passage of this SDO.

Kevin Lanthier, Vice President, Facilities Management:

March 17, 2011

Re: Tucker’s Point Special Development Order of 2011

To Whom It May Concern,

During the past several weeks, the Tucker’s Point SDO has engulfed the population of Bermuda. Our media, special interest groups, concerned citizens and all those hoping for the future success of Tucker’s Point and ultimately the island have been glued to their newspapers, televisions and radios to listen to all sides of this most interesting and important national debate.

As the Vice president of facilities management for Tucker’s Point, I oversee and manage a team of 20 responsible for the overall maintenance of the entire resort. Further to this responsibility, I oversee all green initiatives on property, many of which have been ongoing since before Tucker’s Point broke ground in 2000. I sit of the executive committee Green Rock and lead a number of environmental projects both for the island of Bermuda and on-site at Tucker’s Point. I have been spearheading the application process for Tucker’s Point’s impending Green Globe certification, which if granted will bestow the property as the only “Green” certified hotel on island.

Throughout the “Great” debate, we have heard all sorts of stories, passages in history, and heart felt thoughts from Bermudians and non-Bermudians alike. I believe the SDO application has done our island a great service. 1. People have spoke up both for and against what they believe is the proper course of action for the island. 2. It has sparked national interest, not only for Tucker’s Point, but the island as a whole. 3) It has opened up a discussion about the islands problems, challenges and possibilities.

The SDO that Tucker’s Point is seeking will ultimately affect the whole of Bermuda. This development order will allow the country to continue to thrive and attract new tourists, new home owners and ultimately new life to the island. With the world’s financial affairs years away from full recovery and our future looking equally as bleak, we need to do something to inject jobs, international interest, and future possibilities. Our own National debt is skyrocketing on a daily basis with no solutions in sight. There are limitations to what international business and Bermudians can sustain. When we hear of the possibility of an “Income tax”, tax increases, fuel prices skyrocketing etc.etc., we feel the pain and receive no relief as employers are stressed as well.

This SDO is not all about land, trees, and sustainability, it’s about survival, progress, improvement and leadership. Tucker’s Point has taken the lead in Bermuda and built a remarkable resort which is becoming more and more recognized throughout the world. This attention to detail, a prudent construction process, attention to the environment and surrounding lands as well as our continued commitment to improving our own sustainable practices has put this resort ahead of most. Instead of looking at all the negative aspects and current challenges Tucker’s Point faces, we need to be supporting and commending what has been achieved and what future development can offer.

I challenge our leaders, government and all concerned citizens to take a second look at what Tucker’s Point trying to achieve. With the approval of the SDO, the island can look forward to a positive future with year round employment opportunities for not only the Tucker’s Point resort staff but for many companies both small and large as well as contractors who have grown and excelled over the years directly related to the growth of the Tucker’s Point resort.

In closing, I would challenge anyone in Bermuda to offer concrete solutions to our current financial situation, the state of tourism and the overall state of Bermuda. Tucker’s Point is attempting to help lead the country out of this negative situation and move us forward into the future. Tucker’s Point has proven it in the past and there is no reason that they will not continue there success well into the future.

Sincerely,

Kevin Lanthier, Vice President, Facilities Management

Lauren Purvey, Spa & Fitness Manager:

Dear Senators,

As a Bermudian manager in my late 20’s at Tucker’s Point, I find it disheartening that the security of working in the hospitality industry in Bermuda is now in a state of array. I have worked in hospitality in Bermuda for over 6 years and have strived for Bermuda to become a thriving, bustling destination for travelers. Having volunteered time with the Bermuda Hospitality Institute and by sharing the story of my growth through the industry in the “Your Future 2011” Magazine, I continuously am looking for ways to promote growth in the industry.

Unfortunately, if the SDO does not pass the chances of growth for not only myself and fellow Bermudians is clearly at stake. Without training from Rosewood, a globally recognized brand, Bermudian employees will be forced to relinquish any hopes of and opportunity to learn from a fresh brand.

In essence, there will continue to be a void in the industry if individuals refuse to enter the industry because there is not the opportunity for growth and the notion of job security. We can not promote an Island where many of our hotels are put into receivership. Without Rosewood, there will not be a five star resort on the Island and without growth there will be little to no change in tourism for Bermuda.

I ask on behalf of the 90% Bermudian staff I work with, the individuals who have come to work with us from abroad, and any individuals looking to enter this industry, to please consider the most important resource on this Island leading to its success in tourism. This precious resource is the Bermudian people. It is time for tourism to grow.

Regards,

Lauren Purvey

Spa & Fitness Manager, Tucker’s Point Hotel & Spa

#TuckersPointHotel

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