Reactions to Tucker’s Point SDO Passing
This past Friday, the Senate voted 7-4 to approve the Tucker’s Point SDO, and it will now head back to the House of Assembly, where MPs will vote on the amended SDO. MPs are widely expected to vote to pass the amended SDO. Reactions from Tucker’s Point Resort, BEST Chairman Stuart Hayward, PLP Senator David Burt, UBP Senator Michael Dunkley, and Environment Minister Walter Roban about the Senate’s passing of the SDO are below.
A statement from Tucker’s Point released today:
James Masters, Chairman of Castle Harbour Ltd., the owner and developer of Tucker’s Point, expressed appreciation for the Senate’s support of the Tucker’s Point SDO which was passed on Friday night.
He noted the debate had generated strong feelings in the community and he looked forward to Tucker’s Point now being positioned to contribute to the revival of tourism growth in Bermuda. Mr. Masters noted that the amended SDO still needed to be voted on by the House which was scheduled to consider the amendments on Monday.
Asked about next steps, Mr. Masters said that the Company’s immediate focus was the transfer of management responsibilities to Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. Rosewood is expected to give the Rosewood Tucker’s Point Hotel a significant marketing lift by introducing new markets of affluent leisure and business travelers.
Response from UBP Senator Michael Dunkley, who voted against the SDO:
Naturally there is disappointment that in spite of our concerns being voiced to our Senate colleagues on all sides we were not able to convince them to support a better compromise position. However we are satisfied that, with the help of so many concerned groups and individuals, we managed during the original SDO debate in the Senate on March 18th to have the Government agree to “rise and report progress”.
This in turn resulted in a better outcome from this SDO as when the new Order was tabled and passed in the Senate last night it resulted in Tuckers Point agreeing to donate just over 40 acres of land to the Government; land which we expect to be protected from development for the benefit of future generations.
This is a positive outcome.It is our hope now, assuming the Order will be passed in the House, that both Government and Tuckers Point follow through on their commitment to protect the environment as much as possible through any future development.
Response from BEST Chairman Stuart Hayward:
Of course we’re disappointed at the final vote but we are energized by the role we played in causing a rethink and revisions to the SDO. And while we are sure that some members of the government probably won’t give us credit or thanks, we appreciate that as a result of the work of all the partners in the coalition and their members, TPC were moved to come back to the table bearing gifts and scaled-down demands.
For our part, we acknowledge the government negotiators for acquiring land to add to the public stock and we look forward to learning the details of the covenants that will apply to some parcels of land and what development is going be permitted on others.
We will of course monitor any applications for development of TPC sites and object vigorously, if necessary, as the government has encouraged us to do.
We’d like to thank the supporters, volunteers, consultants and all who engaged in this exercise, especially the Senators who listened to and shared information with us.
The past several weeks have been intense and taxing. We intend to rest over the weekend then assess our next steps.
Video statement from Environment Minister Walter Roban:
Video statement from PLP Senator David Burt, who voted for the SDO:
“POUND OF FLESH”
Meaning
Something which is owed that is ruthlessly required to be paid back.
Origin
This of course derives from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, 1596. The insistence by Shylock of the payment of Antonio’s flesh is the central plot device of the play:
SHYLOCK:
The pound of flesh which I demand of him Is deerely bought, ’tis mine, and I will have it.
The figurative use of the phrase to refer to any lawful but nevertheless unreasonable recompense.
James Masters, Chairman of Castle Harbour Limited thanked the Senate. Is he related to James Masters who works at HSBC (Bermuda)?
I said fron the begining that several prominent Bermudians are behind this real estate deal. Notice how Masters has now emerged from the shadows and Trippe has been gagged and sent to Siberia ( figuratively of course)
old money mate, very old money….same old money that ran BDA’s economic engine pre 1998. There is no black and white these days….just green and same old game, Government and Rich people win at the expense of the masses….
Same “Onion” as that retired from Bank of Bermuda over a decade ago.
Yes, he left here years ago.He was in a senior position at the Bank of Bermuda just before the takeover.
So “Mad”…..whats a 1/4 pounder with cheese.
And never trust a guy in a bluish suit with a St. Paddy’s tie………
“BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH”
Ring Master, the irony in your comment.
Is there an elephant nearby?
Imagine
* An island where open space and natural habitats are preserved for current and future generations to enjoy by building in different ways and concentrating on building in a few key areas; redeveloping previously developed sites rather than encroaching on green space; slowly restoring habitats to pristine condition; using landscaping to help with shading and screening; encouraging organic agriculture; and making maximum use of our marine environment without exploiting and damaging it.
…
Imagine
* A Bermuda where we really do all work together to achieve this shared vision.
* An island where we put sustainable development at the heart of what we do, making these goals the driving force for policy-making and action in Bermuda.
* A Bermuda where we make holistic decisions, evaluating and incorporating the social, economic and environmental costs and benefits of our choices.
* An island where we adopt a precautionary approach, ensuring that there is full evaluation of potentially damaging activities to avoid or minimise risks of serious or irreversible damage to the environment or human health.
* A Bermuda where we encourage broad participation in decision-making, continuing to develop partnerships between government, business and the island’s people and institutions.
Imagine finding the above text on a Governement website http://www.sdbermuda.bm/ and in the Government publication “Charting our course: Sustaining Bermuda…” from June 2008 with a foreword by The Honourable Dr. Ewart F. Brown, J.P. M.P.
Imagine the Government voting in line with its own declared policy, when the chips are down.
Lord…I was having flash backs to the Beatles. But the b^%ards are eating everything in sight.
Took some time to that that Pinkava…well done. Why do we always leave the best till the end.
Unfornuately it does not apply to the present Government; PLP.
Another nail taps the coffin…
Yes folks the circus came to town on Friday. The SDO for TP passed.
The main attraction was the freak show. Which is outlawed in most places but not here in Bermuda.
Members of the elected Parliament, co-joined with members of the Senate to give a group of money-sucking vampires permission to suck the life out of what is left of Bermuda’s ecosystem.
If that wasn’t enough a fire eating, sword swallowing, two face Senator attempted to steal the spotlight.
Which brings me to my main question!”
WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO LEGALIZE IT???
I’M TALKING ABOUT CANNABIS LEGALIZATION AND DECRIMINALIZATION.
Surely if Parliament can ramp through legislation this swiftly. Members can bring a bill to the House legalizing the use of CANNABIS before the next election!???”.
Q: “Want to smoke some pot?”
A: “Sorry, I’m not in the 7th grade anymore, I actually have s**t to do.”
I vote to legalize marijuana so pot heads don’t have anything to talk about anymore! Having to read about legalization in completely unrelated forums is getting old.
Lay the blame at Michael Dunkley and John Barritt door steps. They were too busy trying to disban the UBP and give power to BDA with Kirsten in charge and John Barritt who can’t make a sensible decistion from rg reporter days. We all need to not vote next election. Great Job Senator Jeanne and Susanne
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin’ hot spot
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Could not agree more . . . Castle Harbour Ltd need a parking lot for those now extra 70 plus cars . . . such an environmently friendly establishment NOT!
ohhhh bop bop bop! big tune! and very fitting for this case… a shame that the govt didnt listen to the people once again
codfish & makes sense on target
It would appear that a deal was struck behind closed doors that effectively robs Bermuda of some of its last remaining wilderness. To our Government I say, do what you have decided to do, but spare us the sophistry. Don’t tell us this is about tourism. Don’t tell us this process was democratic or transparent. Don’t tell us the people of Bermuda will benefit from this decision.
Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, recently criticized banks for making money out of “gullible or unsuspecting customers”, maximizing short-term profits and neglecting long-term relationships. I guess we can count our Government among those gullible customers – unless of course there is another explanation for this bill being pushed through with a sense of urgency we rarely see in even the most critical of policy matters.
It’s worth reading in Ed Trippe’s own words the lengths he had to go to to pull off this residential real estate deal, including persuading the Bermuda Government that it was for tourism and getting around our “eccentric” zoning laws. I wonder what the argument was that finally convinced our once skeptical Government? See this 2007 article in Greenwich Magazine:
http://www.mofflymedia.com/Moffly-Publications/Greenwich-Magazine/November-2007/Destination-Bermuda/
Let the record show that the people of Bermuda said no.
Another sellout for the price of a few trinkets.
Oh well Bermuda, this is the Government you voted for, not once but three times. I guess you get what you deserve.
In a short time Bermuda has gone from being a much envied ‘micronation’ of the world to virtually a third world micronation complete with crumbling infrostructure, a huge debt & a ruling party getting rich at the peoples expense.
What gets given away next? The south shore beaches? What are your grandchildren going to think of your generation as they are paying for your poor judgment?
I don’t always agree with you, but I can agree with the sentiment of this comment. I wish I couldn’t.
As bad a this is for the island’s natural beauty and hence tourism, Bermuda is looking uglier and uglier as the years go by. When driving on Sou Shore the new “affordable housing” that is being built in Warwick is horrid looking. Bermuda has barley snippets of natural beauty left. This is certainly no longer paradise. That saying is kind if a joke now.