Comments on: BEST Applauds WEDCo’s Public Consultation

By: Jennifer Flood

Jennifer Flood — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 13:02:58 +0000

Perhaps I am missing something, but if the ‘WEDCo Land reclamation … has been planned since about 2007 by the previously appointed PLP WEDCo board” there was plenty of time and opportunity to ensure the necessary protocol and legal requirements were followed.

By: SMH!

SMH! — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 01:50:30 +0000

Paperboy, one base on Morgans Point is a lot different than the Americas Cup Village.
Government would have had to spend $39 million on infrastructure improvement on Morgans Point, Sewage, potable water, power etc. All of this would have been public funds being used to improve a private development and the WEDCo Land reclamation was not because of the Americas Cup, it has been planned since about 2007 by the previously appointed PLP WEDCo board.

By: paperboy

paperboy — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 23:13:12 +0000

BEST is correct that this very expensive land belongs to Bermuda and our community has the right to be engaged around use post AC35.

Why we are filling in the South Basin is a large and very expensive open question. Why are we spending at lest $39 million to create nine new acres when we had the opportunity to rent Morgan’s Point for a fraction of that price?

There have been no answers to the many questions about renting Morgan’s Point. Team Artemis clearly was able to negotiate with Morgan’s Point.

The emerging narrative is that WEDCo saw AC35 as a chance to create long term revenue streams with a Government Department as the anchor tenant on the new land.

The fact that these WEDCo plans violated planning polices were either a calculated risk or very bad legal advice. In the absence of public consultation, the $39million spend to fill in this land was a revenue strategy cooked up by WEDCo with the approval of a number of Government Ministers.

BEST pointed out correctly that the Minister and WEDCo were working outside their legal remit for land end use and here we are today with a $39 million dollar and counting spend.

By: SMH!

SMH! — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 17:52:45 +0000

So, let me get this straight, BEST want WEDCO to spend $39 million on this land and leave it as open space?

There are NO REVENUES with open space, so how is the land going to be paid for? Is BEST going to purchase it?