Public Invited To Join St. David’s Plan Group
Community members, especially those in St. David’s, are encouraged to join a Working Group focused on developing the St. David’s Draft Community Plan, the Government said today.
A Government spokesperson said, “Launched in August 2022, the St. David’s Draft Community Plan is a collaboration between the St. David’s community, local stakeholders, the Department of Planning and the BLDC.
“The first Community Plan of its kind in Bermuda, it highlights what St. David’s Islanders most cherish about their island – the unique heritage and culture, the expanse and beauty of the parks and nature reserves, as well as the stunning scenery, and identifies the area’s challenges and what improvements are needed.
“As work on the plan continues, community members, especially those in St. David’s, are encouraged to join a Working Group focused on developing the plan by emailing their interest to communityplanwg@bldc.bm.
“The Draft Plan reflects the St. David’s community’s feedback from two Community Surveys and the suggestions and recommendations provided by St. David’s residents and those who work in or visit St. David’s. It identifies goals, objectives and action items to guide community improvements and development in St. David’s over the next 5 to 10 years.
“Six goals are identified in the Draft St. David’s Community Plan, each with specific objectives and proposed action items. The goals include enriching the health and well-being of the St. David’s community through park enhancements, creating a community precinct with commercial amenities and creating a much-wanted grocery store.
“Another key goal is to promote St. David’s rich heritage of military fortifications, listed buildings and historical sites and support initiatives to restore and preserve these attractions. The memorial rock and plaque at Annie’s Bay, installed last summer by the St. David’s Island Historical Society, is a wonderful new landmark in St. David’s that honours the sacrifice so many St. David’s Islanders made.
“Other goals in the Draft Community Plan include creating a greater sense of place and identity through better signage and publicity of key attractions and sites and improved connectivity and accessibility within St. David’s, and supporting the growth of St. David’s as a sustainable and resilient community and encouraging initiatives such as planting mangroves in coastal areas.
“Creating opportunities to support St. David’s growth and viability as an attractive place to live, work and play through revitalising brownfield sites also features prominently in the Draft Plan.
“Projects are already underway with the recent restoration of Stocks Harbour Nature Reserve by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. This work involved the clearing of invasives and planting mangrove saplings.
“Many St. David’s community members have expressed an interest in helping to facilitate improvements in the area and have formed the St. David’s Community Plan Working Group. Deep ties and a genuine love of St. David’s and its unique history are some of the reasons given by these volunteers as to why they want to contribute their time and efforts to help enhance the lives of those who live in the area and to create a welcoming atmosphere for everyone who visits.
“The Working Group has already started meeting and is keen to encourage more public involvement, especially from the St. David’s community. If you are interested in participating in the St. David’s Community Plan Working Group or would like more information, please email communityplanwg@bldc.bm.
“The public consultation remains open until 30 June 2023. As such, individuals may continue reviewing the Draft St. David’s Community Plan’s documents and take a short community feedback survey through the Bermuda Citizen’s Forum or email comments to info@bldc.bm.”
