Group Expresses Concerns Over Water Tower
Action group Take Back Our Park – which is trying to stop the Government from going ahead with a maintenance yard in the middle of the Botanical Gardens - has expressed concerns over a water tower at the site.
Jennifer Flood, a spokeswoman for Take Back Our Park, said “There is a sign posted on the tower saying ‘Dangerous gases may be present in area’, ‘No flames or sparks’ and ‘Gases can cause loss of consciousness and death and can be explosive’.
“I am concerned about this warning especially as this site is near one of the areas in the Garden most used by the public. This might possibly be just a standard warning, but if there is, in fact, an explosion risk, the area should be secured.”
Take Back Our Park is trying to halt work on building a new maintenance yard for the Parks Department which involves the water tower and two, two story buildings as well as parking for all the Department’s vehicles.
“The centre of the Botanical Gardens is not a suitable place for a maintenance yard. We should not have this type of industrial activity in the middle of a park that is meant to be a safe place for families to enjoy, children to play, and is also a major tourist attraction,” added Mrs Flood.
In the space of a few weeks, more than 1,700 people have signed the group’s petition [link here] against the site and more than 730 have signed up to the group’s Facebook page [link here].
Mrs Flood also said the group’s bumper stickers with the Take Back Our Park logo, are now available to anyone at either Mailboxes Unlimited, on Par La Ville Road, or at Paget Dry Cleaners.
“We are asking people to put these on their cars to show their support as we try to preserve the Botanical Gardens,” she said.
“We are asking people flying kites at the Botanical Gardens over the Easter holidays to see the scale of the project for themselves and the impact it will have on people using the gardens and to join all the others who have already signed the petition,” added Mrs Flood.
The group can be contacted at takebackourpark@gmail.com
Update 5.17pm: The article was amended, per Take Back Our Park’s request.
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The maintenance yard has been there in that same spot for years. Just because they brought the house right next door they do not want the maintenance yard back. I am sure it wouldn’t be such a concern if they didn’t buy that property.
about 2000 people disagree …
The same paid People from the election.
the same people who have signed the petition and joined the groups FB page …
Which means there’s 58,000 who aren’t bothered.
Statistics…use them wisely.
2000 people is pretty good sample of the population bearing in mind that 400 is considered OK for a professional poll … using statistics wisely …
A poll and a petition are 2 different things
A few more people than the number who disrupted the Senate recently. Who should be listened to?
I too have been perplexed by this, it has always been there, the only difference before is that it was less visible being buried behind hedge lines. I have walked around it before and after and cannot find how they have diminished the garden’s publicly used space. For me, it just looks uglier as it is now more exposed with less tree and hedge line cover, something that can be remedied once construction is completed.
There will be not hiding that ugly tank. This is not the place for something as industrial as this, never has been.
Again, there was industrial there before, did you never notice it behind the hedges. So long as they landscape it right, the worst you’ll see is the roof. They just need to fix that roof
The only people that seem to support this stupid idea work for Gov. How surprising.
I don’t work for government, I slug it out in private local industry
A park is no place for a maintenance yard. The won’t be able to remedy the sound and traffic of 100+ people going there every day nor or the sight of all the trucks driving Berry Hilll road through to South Road. What about all the truck filling up at the water station. You have to wonder who comes up with half wit schemes
They were there before
SMH -FYI I do not live in the area, I have been a tour guide at the Botanical Gardens for several years and really enjoy introducing visitors – mainly tourists but also local people – to this beautiful Garden full of interesting plants, each with their own story intimately connected to Bermuda’s history, social and economic. To your point “been in that same spot for years” – true, but the proposed new yard will be larger, cater to many more vehicles and will be busier and noisier. This simply is inappropriate in the centre of a Botanical Garden. Because something “was” doesn’t mean it is either right or should continue.
busy day in Gov offices?
Where is BEST?
I’m disgusted that Government is still going ahead with this. we have such limited green space and this is right in the middle of Botanical gardens. Who makes this decisions. And that tank is a hideous joke.
I’m surprised to given the amount of people that are against this, especially when gov. keeps telling us were broke. Seems we’re not the broke after all if they’ve got money for this.
If you go back you will likely find that decisions were made & money was allocated long ago.
Still, a totally inappropriate place for such a facility.
You’re a hideous joke
Where were you in the 80s and 90s when I used to work for Agriculture and Fisheries? That area has always been an industrial space! Seems like some newbies have taken residence in the area after Hurricane Fabien!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Say what? The whole thing is a disgraceful for waste of money. I for one am glad they’re getting raked over the coals. The whole garden is a compete and utter disgrace and now this?
no-one is denying it has always been an industrial space – the point is that a good opportunity has been missed by not turning it into a green space and relocating people to Marsh Folly
Have you seen the plans for this thing. The water tower is the nice part. There’s never been anything like that there before. I hope government doesn’t use “well it was there before” logic in all their important decision making. Sure does explain a lot though, dunnit?
I went there a few weeks ago and what I saw was disgusting, not just that area but the whole of the gardens were unkempt and the buildings are falling down. What a waste of money. Surprising: no, stupid: yes
I couldn’t agree with you more. The entire dept. is in shambles. My concern is, if they can’t even be bothered to do their jobs and maintain the parks, what’s this “yard” or what ever they call it going to look like, another dump?
lol, who is the MP ……
Who was the Government when the plans were made? I think that part of Paget falls under the current W&E Minister but what can he do about an existing contract?
The Minister has the right to void a contract
Have you even seen the state of the building on the gardens? Its obvious theres no money to maintain those but theres money for a maintenance yard?Jokers is right
“This might possibly be just a standard warning, but if there is, in fact, an explosion risk, the area should be secured.”
April Fool?
No April Fool – I have seen this myself
All confined spaces should have this label… including the water tank under your house. Remember the poor men who passed due to carbon monoxide poisoning while cleaning a tank years ago?! Anyone with half a brain realizes this is safety protocol.
Also why are people so confused that a department who waters flowers and plants might need a water tank?
Standard warning or not, would you let your kids play near there? I sure wouldn’t.
This whole project, a industrial site in a park is a bad April Fools joke.
Is this an april fools joke?
Clearly as there are no facts actually stated in this article it must be just a lot of (explosive) hot air!!!
It is not stating facts if you read it. it is asking questions and legitimate ones as well. If there is a hint that this area is unsafe in anyway someone should say so.
Have you been there? Access onto this site is easy!
That whole ugly water tower looks like it’s made out of tin cans and tin foil
It Is!
Scrap this whole project and put somethignthat people want there instead and outsource this whole dept.w
Ha, you’re right. Every recognized that tower because it’s stick out so badly. Base on what I’ve read that whole area is only going to get worse with all those trucks parked there.
No facts? Take a drive or better yet, go for a walk. You can see the eyesore from almost anywhere in the Gardens. There is a section of its roof that is missing, actually metal sticking up along the edges. There are also steps that are accessible to children and adults a like, zip ties being used to secure the once open door that children could have easily found their way into and have drowned. The building that is also on the property is in ruin, and nothing is keeping the public away from it except some red tape. What other facts do you need?
The warning sign is standard for any confined space as per Bda’s OSH regulations of 2009.The main hazard inside a water tank could range from low oxygen,CO, sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide.
It is only to remind employees to follow confined space procedure before entry.
STOP PANICKING and DO SOME RESEARCH. Google is your friend!
If there’s ANY potential of explosions this shouldn’t be anywhere need a public area. The Botanical Gardens are too important to Bermuda to have a large industrial site in it. whats wrong with the Quarry where all the othere Government vehicles are maintained.
OK, that’s good – but can you see the alarm this has raised because there is NO security at the site.
Outsource that whole dept. and then maybe we can get the job done. Spending money on this useless bunch is a joke if you ask me. Outsource now
Ridiculous. Totally ridiculous, even if it has been used as a maintenance yard before this is a massive missed opportunity to vastly improve our Botanical Gardens. It will look really great when helicopters start flying over the area filming for the America’s Cup ….
It’s a water tower…. whats wrong with building a water tower? You know how much water is used to keep the gardens the way they are? a lot… if the government wants parks to collect rain water in a tower then let them… better that then depleting the underground water sources.
Nothing unless it’s ugly and dangerous and in full view of everyone in the middle of a park.
where is the catchment area for this water tower?
Good point. It sure doesn’t look like it will survive another hurricane.
I believe that would be the roofs of the new buildings. Perhaps the roofs could be suspended by sky hooks until the rest of the buildings are built though!
The UBP/OBA is on this I’m sure ! Come on this is Paget ! Talk to ex premier Canottathere , maybe he’ll transfer that ugly , toxic tank to de backa town somewhere !
Huh?
Only you could make something like this political. What part of broke don’t you get?
It has nothing to do with ‘Paget’ it has everything to do with the Botanical Gardens which are used by everyone ….
@9:59
I really don’t know what’s the big deal ! If the government put it there , then surely the people shouldn’t be complaining , they most certainly should be embracing this wonderful improvement to the gardens ! Everything this government has done is for the benefit of its people …. Right ?
Paget , the bastion of old Bermuda !
My question is who is going to benefit from this. Is it the people, I don’t think so. Are you sure its just a “water tower” as its being claimed. And if it is, why have it and for whom? Again, who will benefit from this? Told you about stay tuned to the dictatorial government, let’s see what else they have in store.