Developments are being approved so quickly, we can barely keep up with them! Now, a new one for Brewers Bay
Brewers Bay citizens are asking for anyone against the Brewers Bay project to print this petition, get it signed and sent to Town and Country planning by April 5th
Taken from the BVI Beacon March 1st, 2007
A resort that would include eight villas and an 18 suite condominium project has been proposed for Brewers Bay. An environmental Impact Assessment report for the 4.9 acrew King Villa and Condo Resort Development is on display at several locations, and Town and Country Planning is accepting public comments until April 5th. In addition to the eight two storey villas and the three storey condo block, the proposed development would include a beach bar and spa facilities.
Location, Location, Location
It would be located about 400 feet north of the community centre, and would accomodate a maximum occupancy of 42 couples. The villas would be individually and privately owned, and would probably be used for vacation accomodations, according to the EIA report which is on display ath Town and Country planning, The Roadtown Public Library and the Cane Garden Bay Post Office. Comments should be sent to "King Development Project Comments" and Town and Country Planning in the Central Administration Complex.
This letter, given to me by concerned citizens is a copy of exactly what they are sending to Town and Country Planning
March 13, 2007, King Villa and Condominium Resort Development, Brewers Bay
Town and Country Planning Department, 33 Admin Drive Road Town,Tortola, BVI
Dear Sirs and Madams,
We write in response to the proposed King Villa Condominium Development in Brewers Bay. We applaud Town and Country Planning for inviting opinions and discussion in this sensitive matter of the rights and privileges due everyone when it concerns development. As homeowners in Brewers Bay, and landholders for almost eighteen years on this beautiful island, we have seen the economic and political pressures put on everyone for change. Growth and development will always be an important issue – whether it is for new schools, a new hospital, or a new resort. But, development should not only benefit the developer. Too often, in the United States, a lovely area is destroyed by the rush to sell the land that once made it beautiful. The result is that the area becomes overdeveloped, no longer aesthetically attractive and burdened with changes that can never be undone. Open space is lost to developers who receive the profit in exchange for promises to the local people that never come to pass.
With the King Villa Condominium Development plan, so much of the above is true. The prospectus, by OBM Ltd, paints a picture of prosperity for the people of Brewers Bay. We, however, after weeks of study, cannot see any benefit for the community of Brewers Bay. What is obvious, however, is that Brewers Bay is being exploited for its beauty, for having retained beaches that are unspoiled and open to everyone, and for being a quiet place to escape from the overcrowding of too many tourists. For years, Brewers Bay has been the place where Tortolans celebrate holidays, have family picnics and gather to enjoy the beauty of what has always been available for generations of Tortola’s families. Tourism in Brewers Bay is being handled quite adequately by Nicole’s Beach Bar, the camp ground, Ronneville Cottages and Icis’s Villas. If any of these establishments were asked if they are fully occupied or "too" busy, the answer would be no.
More importantly, King Villas is obviously not sensitive to this very “beauty” that makes up and defines Brewers Bay. The prospectus hides the true intentions of the developer by using words which disguise the use that is actually intended. For example, the “Villas” are 9 and not 8 - one is a manager’s house. The villas are not single family residences but are, essentially, condominiums - with three kitchens, and three rentable apartments of motel size. The additional condominium block will be three stories and is being sited on the steepest side of the property, which will make it look even more out-of-place. All of the rooms are the size of motel rooms. This unit will consist of 18 rentals.
All of these will be on less than 4 acres – not the 4.9 that they keep saying they are using. All of the proposed buildings will be squeezed on parcel # 90, alone. Parcel # 129 will have the beach bar, sewage treatment and parking – possibly a ploy to eventually sell the villa parcel separately from the beach bar parcel and further develop parcel 129. Parcel # 129 is the flatter and most buildable site and by being left alone, would certainly be expandable into more restaurant, shops or condominium space in the future and sold by the developer for yet another profit.
Essentially, this development is, now, inviting 84 (42 units, double occupancy) weekly renters. It is not encouraging home ownership by families who will live on Brewers Bay for years to come, nor give back to the community and invest in the island of Tortola. The people who will come to this resort will not care about anything long-lasting except their week in paradise. They will, essentially, have the same cruise boat mentality that demands beach lounges, cheap Tee shirt sales and kiosks, and maid service. This tourist mentality does not create an atmosphere, on the beach, which welcomes the people of Tortola to continue their traditional use of the beach for family barbeques, parties and just gathering together to enjoy their beachfront.
This kind of high density development, on severe slopes with no consideration to the current characteristics of the Brewers Bay Community, is clearly insensitive and overburdens the land. OBM even mentions that they must try and disguise the height of the Villas and cistern by using cantilevered decks. They state that they had wanted to have another 18 unit condominium block and additional Villas but they are conceding to doing less than what they could ask for. This is total fabrication because one could see that nothing else could fit on parcel # 90, which is overburdened as it is. They lightly threaten that they will do something more unattractive if not granted this appeal. This is not the way to win the acceptance of those reading the proposal.
Too many units (9 villas and one block of condominiums) are crowded on less than 4 acres, on a hillside of severe slope and rock limitations. Because of the elevations of the villas, the cuts and retaining walls for the roads and the steep lay of the land, erosion into Brewers Bay is inevitable. Not only on construction will the silt run into the reefs below, but after completion, the roadways will be a direct conduit for water runoff and mud into the Bay. Currently, the reef is struggling to survive as water from small, recent hillside construction projects carries runoff and sediment to the extent that the Bay is "brown" for long periods of time. One only has to look at the brown silt in the water (during this very dry period) just outside of the current development on Scrub Island to see that developers do not manage their projects as they promise.
The study says there will be no impact nor will it adversely impact the known archeological resources or local roadway infrastructure. However, the small and lovely passage between the distillery ruin and house ruin will surely not accommodate the increased traffic from a 42 bed resort, beach bar, spa and associated deliveries.
In order to convince the reader of their sincerity, the developer and OBM, Ltd continue to embellish their proposal with falsehoods. One of their statements could not be farther from the truth: “The design philosophy for this development has been to preserve and protect the natural attributes of the site and its surroundings.” All one needs to do is physically compare the plan with the site and it is clear that the site is not conducive to this project. Nowhere in the “surroundings” of Brewers Bay do we see any development of this nature. Brewers Bay will suffer permanent damage so that the developer will have his short-term gain.
The report also says that the current "seawall has resulted in beach erosion over the previous decade. The approximate high water mark shown on the survey map is now above the seawall.”" OBM Ltd.’s answer to this is to build the beach bar on top of the wall, on "timber poles with timber deck above flooding elevations". Doesn’t a set back from the sea apply, as well as consideration for the structure’s strength in a hurricane?
The calculations on income to the local community are incorrect. Locally, money from the construction of and maintenance for this project will not come back to the people in Brewer’s Bay. The calculations on income to the government are exaggerated as well. The report speaks of $2,000,000 per year to the government for accommodation tax – but this would be full residency and would mean that the Villas are not Villas but three unit rentals. It also speaks of $816,000 in Stamp Duty, but if this is a resort, why are the units being sold? They are not offered with subdivided plots or fee simple ownership. If they are sold separately, they will all remain on one parcel of land and will have to have condominium fees paid to the developer – yet another way for the developer to maximize his profit. Who will manage everything when it has been sold? Will it go the way of the time shares sold at Prospect Reef – with the sales fees paid and the developer not staying in the project long term only to saddle the Government with restitution? Surely, subdivision and fee simple sales would more appropriately protect the purchaser. The government and the community should not be left to “clean up” once the developer and his engineers have taken their profit off the top.
Once this project is built, it will be a permanent fixture in lovely Brewers Bay. The density of housing on the sea is far too great for the site. Single family Villas would be lovely there, and cottages to rent would be an asset, as well. But to take such a steep and small parcel of land and attempt to make an optimum profit, for a few individuals, from both rentals and sales without concern for the final density and erosion is not in keeping with Tortola’s philosophy. Speculation by others is only a short term goal. Lovely beaches, open to Tortolans and visitors, with a quiet landscape is a more appropriate land management. Profit is not an unspeakable expectation for someone, but profit at the expense of the community and the environment is not correct. Concern for the future of all the families on Tortola, and in beautiful Brewers Bay, will mean that the thoughts of all citizens must be heard – not just the requests of a few who might want to speculate for their own benefit. Bigger is certainly not better – and this proposed development is far too big for the site and may have even bigger, and unannounced, intentions for the future.
Thank you for the opportunity to express our concerns. We look forward to seeing growth in Brewers Bay, handled in a responsible manner – that benefits the community and does not exploit the beauty that the residents, and time, have taken care to preserve.
I have been working at putting together the preliminary EIA for King Villas into PDF and putting up.. I have only got half way there, but it is coming. Here are the the page image links for the pages for a start. There is a few more pages, but it is all resumes for the people involved in the EIA! Obviously filler. This is not a very fleshed out plan.
PAGES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
King Villa and Condominium Resort Development
An excellent eye discovered a very large ad in the Beacon last week for "King Villa and Condominium Resort Development" in Brewer's Bay. When they returned from the Cane Garden Bay Post Office, where the plans arrived, and will be available for review until April 5th, they had these notes. They are also available in the Town and Country Planning Dept in the Central Admin Complex or the Road Town Public Library.
The Ad says that the public shall have these 28 business days to respond to the development application for this. All responses are to be submitted to King Development Project Comments, Town and Country Planning Department, 33 Admin Drive, Road town, Tortola, BVI.
1. All proposed on only 4.9 acres, West Central Section 2640B, parcels 90 and 129. The proposal is for 8 villas on the point at the end of our beach - proposed to be valued @ $850,000 each and available for sale and rent when completed. The land is not to be subdivided - just built upon. The villas are comprised of two floors, each with a bathroom, living room, and kitchen. It appears that with two kitchens, both floors could be rented. 4-5 villas face our beach side of the point and a road accesses the beach. Also on this side is the managers residence, spa, maintenance facility and supporting infrastructure "sewage plan").
2. At the base of the point on the other side near the boat/beach bar will be an 18 unit condominium, valued at over $100,000 per unit and a beach bar built on top of the "crumbling" sea wall that is there now. The 3 or 4 other villas will face that direction.
3. OBM did the proposal and Ms. Jareeki PHD did the environmental impact. The project manager/engineer is Brent Brydon and his resume shows he developed the new Nanny Cay condominium project.
4. The bound portfolio shows sketches of these 2 1/2 story villas, floor plans and site locations. At least the front two Villas and beach bar and probably the condominium complex is right on the sea, certainly not in the 100 foot setback we understood to be a current requirement. There are pages of explanations about how this will improve Brewers Bay and the beach front, manage a current erosion gut on the property, utilize the new public water and bring revenue to the government @ 12% on each sale - plus constant rentals will bring spendable money into the community and businesses of Brewers Bay. The flat parcel where the condos and beach bar will go has wetlands - but they say they will handle this appropriately and actually improve the site. One of the only negatives mentioned was a possible odor from the sewage treatment facility.
A few additional notes upon reviewing the King Villa and Condominium Resort Development Report closer:
1. The eight villas proposed will, each, have three rentable apartments.
2. The condominium block will have 18 rentable efficiencies and will be three stories, 6 units on each floor.
3. The ninth villa is sometimes referred to as the owner's villa and other times as the manager's residence.
4. The resort will have 42 vacation rental beds.
5. There are two parcels, 90 and 129, in Block 2640B, West Central Section comprising 4.9 acres. However, all of the above buildings, plus the spa ,will be squeezed on only parcel 90, which appears to be well under 4 acres. They state that they are "ensuring that the density is compatible with the site and the community in general."
6. The elevations for parcel 90 are severe and the road cuts, fill work, embankments and excavations will require retaining walls, cantilevers and cistern exposures dramatically conflicting with the natural quality of the land.
7. At many times in the report, the developers in the project refer to the current ""sediment conveyance into Brewers Bay at every rainfall". They propose that their project will fix an existing ghut "but runoff will certainly go elsewhere" and their cuts, dirtwork and excavations will be well-managed. Unfortunately, we have seen the last few projects uphill from Brewers Bay dramatically fill the Bay with substantial erosion and sediment deposits that continue to go unchecked.
8. Page 9 of the report says the "seawall has resulted in beach erosion over the previous decade. The approximate high water mark shown on the survey map is now above the seawall."" The developer's answer to this is to build the beach bar "on timber poles with timber deck above flooding elevations" and right on the sea wall.
9. The study says there will be no impact and will not disturb known archaelogical resources, and no impact on and will not effect the local roadway infrastructure. What about the narrow passage between the distillary and house ruins for a new 42 bed resort, beach bar and spa?
10. Finally, the calculations on income to the Government are very questionable. $2,000,000 a year in accommodation tax "full residency I suppose", $816,000 in Stamp Duty "are these for sale individually or is it a resort?".
Letter to Town and Country planning on King Condo Development in Brewers Bay
Brewers Bay citizens are asking for anyone against the Brewers Bay project to print this petition, get it signed and sent to Town and Country planning by April 5th
March 13, 2007, King Villa and Condominium Resort Development, Brewers Bay
Town and Country Planning Department, 33 Admin Drive Road Town,Tortola, BVI
Dear Sirs and Madams,
We write in response to the proposed King Villa Condominium Development in Brewers Bay. We applaud Town and Country Planning for inviting opinions and discussion in this sensitive matter of the rights and privileges due everyone when it concerns development. As homeowners in Brewers Bay, and landholders for almost eighteen years on this beautiful island, we have seen the economic and political pressures put on everyone for change. Growth and development will always be an important issue – whether it is for new schools, a new hospital, or a new resort. But, development should not only benefit the developer. Too often, in the United States, a lovely area is destroyed by the rush to sell the land that once made it beautiful. The result is that the area becomes overdeveloped, no longer aesthetically attractive and burdened with changes that can never be undone. Open space is lost to developers who receive the profit in exchange for promises to the local people that never come to pass.
With the King Villa Condominium Development plan, so much of the above is true. The prospectus, by OBM Ltd, paints a picture of prosperity for the people of Brewers Bay. We, however, after weeks of study, cannot see any benefit for the community of Brewers Bay. What is obvious, however, is that Brewers Bay is being exploited for its beauty, for having retained beaches that are unspoiled and open to everyone, and for being a quiet place to escape from the overcrowding of too many tourists. For years, Brewers Bay has been the place where Tortolans celebrate holidays, have family picnics and gather to enjoy the beauty of what has always been available for generations of Tortola’s families. Tourism in Brewers Bay is being handled quite adequately by Nicole’s Beach Bar, the camp ground, Ronneville Cottages and Icis’s Villas. If any of these establishments were asked if they are fully occupied or "too" busy, the answer would be no.
More importantly, King Villas is obviously not sensitive to this very “beauty” that makes up and defines Brewers Bay. The prospectus hides the true intentions of the developer by using words which disguise the use that is actually intended. For example, the “Villas” are 9 and not 8 - one is a manager’s house. The villas are not single family residences but are, essentially, condominiums - with three kitchens, and three rentable apartments of motel size. The additional condominium block will be three stories and is being sited on the steepest side of the property, which will make it look even more out-of-place. All of the rooms are the size of motel rooms. This unit will consist of 18 rentals.
All of these will be on less than 4 acres – not the 4.9 that they keep saying they are using. All of the proposed buildings will be squeezed on parcel # 90, alone. Parcel # 129 will have the beach bar, sewage treatment and parking – possibly a ploy to eventually sell the villa parcel separately from the beach bar parcel and further develop parcel 129. Parcel # 129 is the flatter and most buildable site and by being left alone, would certainly be expandable into more restaurant, shops or condominium space in the future and sold by the developer for yet another profit.
Essentially, this development is, now, inviting 84 (42 units, double occupancy) weekly renters. It is not encouraging home ownership by families who will live on Brewers Bay for years to come, nor give back to the community and invest in the island of Tortola. The people who will come to this resort will not care about anything long-lasting except their week in paradise. They will, essentially, have the same cruise boat mentality that demands beach lounges, cheap Tee shirt sales and kiosks, and maid service. This tourist mentality does not create an atmosphere, on the beach, which welcomes the people of Tortola to continue their traditional use of the beach for family barbeques, parties and just gathering together to enjoy their beachfront.
This kind of high density development, on severe slopes with no consideration to the current characteristics of the Brewers Bay Community, is clearly insensitive and overburdens the land. OBM even mentions that they must try and disguise the height of the Villas and cistern by using cantilevered decks. They state that they had wanted to have another 18 unit condominium block and additional Villas but they are conceding to doing less than what they could ask for. This is total fabrication because one could see that nothing else could fit on parcel # 90, which is overburdened as it is. They lightly threaten that they will do something more unattractive if not granted this appeal. This is not the way to win the acceptance of those reading the proposal.
Too many units (9 villas and one block of condominiums) are crowded on less than 4 acres, on a hillside of severe slope and rock limitations. Because of the elevations of the villas, the cuts and retaining walls for the roads and the steep lay of the land, erosion into Brewers Bay is inevitable. Not only on construction will the silt run into the reefs below, but after completion, the roadways will be a direct conduit for water runoff and mud into the Bay. Currently, the reef is struggling to survive as water from small, recent hillside construction projects carries runoff and sediment to the extent that the Bay is "brown" for long periods of time. One only has to look at the brown silt in the water (during this very dry period) just outside of the current development on Scrub Island to see that developers do not manage their projects as they promise.
The study says there will be no impact nor will it adversely impact the known archeological resources or local roadway infrastructure. However, the small and lovely passage between the distillery ruin and house ruin will surely not accommodate the increased traffic from a 42 bed resort, beach bar, spa and associated deliveries.
In order to convince the reader of their sincerity, the developer and OBM, Ltd continue to embellish their proposal with falsehoods. One of their statements could not be farther from the truth: “The design philosophy for this development has been to preserve and protect the natural attributes of the site and its surroundings.” All one needs to do is physically compare the plan with the site and it is clear that the site is not conducive to this project. Nowhere in the “surroundings” of Brewers Bay do we see any development of this nature. Brewers Bay will suffer permanent damage so that the developer will have his short-term gain.
The report also says that the current "seawall has resulted in beach erosion over the previous decade. The approximate high water mark shown on the survey map is now above the seawall.”" OBM Ltd.’s answer to this is to build the beach bar on top of the wall, on "timber poles with timber deck above flooding elevations". Doesn’t a set back from the sea apply, as well as consideration for the structure’s strength in a hurricane?
The calculations on income to the local community are incorrect. Locally, money from the construction of and maintenance for this project will not come back to the people in Brewer’s Bay. The calculations on income to the government are exaggerated as well. The report speaks of $2,000,000 per year to the government for accommodation tax – but this would be full residency and would mean that the Villas are not Villas but three unit rentals. It also speaks of $816,000 in Stamp Duty, but if this is a resort, why are the units being sold? They are not offered with subdivided plots or fee simple ownership. If they are sold separately, they will all remain on one parcel of land and will have to have condominium fees paid to the developer – yet another way for the developer to maximize his profit. Who will manage everything when it has been sold? Will it go the way of the time shares sold at Prospect Reef – with the sales fees paid and the developer not staying in the project long term only to saddle the Government with restitution? Surely, subdivision and fee simple sales would more appropriately protect the purchaser. The government and the community should not be left to “clean up” once the developer and his engineers have taken their profit off the top.
Once this project is built, it will be a permanent fixture in lovely Brewers Bay. The density of housing on the sea is far too great for the site. Single family Villas would be lovely there, and cottages to rent would be an asset, as well. But to take such a steep and small parcel of land and attempt to make an optimum profit, for a few individuals, from both rentals and sales without concern for the final density and erosion is not in keeping with Tortola’s philosophy. Speculation by others is only a short term goal. Lovely beaches, open to Tortolans and visitors, with a quiet landscape is a more appropriate land management. Profit is not an unspeakable expectation for someone, but profit at the expense of the community and the environment is not correct. Concern for the future of all the families on Tortola, and in beautiful Brewers Bay, will mean that the thoughts of all citizens must be heard – not just the requests of a few who might want to speculate for their own benefit. Bigger is certainly not better – and this proposed development is far too big for the site and may have even bigger, and unannounced, intentions for the future.
Thank you for the opportunity to express our concerns. We look forward to seeing growth in Brewers Bay, handled in a responsible manner – that benefits the community and does not exploit the beauty that the residents, and time, have taken care to preserve.
Contact information for the group is info@bvihcg.com
Webmaster email is webmaster@bvihcg.com
