Proposed Havers Development amended, residents still disapprove
The Havers Development is located on the south-western coast of Tortola between Pleasant Valley in the east and Pockwood Pond in the west.
A number of changes have been made to the multimillion-dollar Havers Development Project since it was first introduced some three years ago. However, residents still seem to be generally dissatisfied with the proposed project.
Project developers, JSSR Holdings Limited, is proposing to develop a residential community using reclaimed land. The development will comprise a 120-room hotel, beach condominiums and residential houses, a marina, a spa, fitness centre, restaurants, stores, beaches, marina slips, among other things.
When the project was first proposed, developers planned to reclaim 8.64 acres of land but that has been reduced by more than 50 percent, and developers now plan to reclaim 4.2 acres.
On the other hand, the developers have increased the number of marina slips where boats/vessels will dock. The proposed number of slips have increased from 55 to 114.
Six-year project
Developers are also proposing two man-made beaches instead of one. The approximate six-year development, which is to happen in five phases, was first projected to cost $70 million but that cost is expected to increase. That new figure is yet to be specified.
All these were made known during a community meeting at the Valerie O Thomas Community Centre in Sea Cows Bay last Thursday. The meeting was for residents to give feedback on the project.
A similar meeting was held three years ago and residents, at the time, raised concerns the project would have infringed on certain landowners’ property.
Dr Cassander Titley-O’Neal
During last week’s meeting, Dr Cassander Titley-O’Neal — a marine biologist who represents the project developers — put those concerns to rest.
“All the buildings [for the project] will be on the reclaimed area. They are not on anything (land) that exists now and that is a significant difference to what was presented back in 2015,” Dr Titley-O’Neal said.
Other concerns
But, while that concern has been addressed, residents still had environmental concerns, as well as concerns about the location of the development’s marina, which they believe is ‘too open’ and has a small chance of survival if another major hurricane hits.
In response to those concerns, Dr Titley-O’Neal countered by asking: “Which marina in the BVI was not impacted by Irma?” Notably, the new marina built at Nanny Cay was virtually unaffected by that hurricane.
Dr Titley-O’Neal had further said, while there are no guarantees the proposed marina will not be devastated if a major disaster hits, the environmental impact study of the Havers Development Project was conducted by ‘qualified coastal engineers’.
She suggested the developers’ environmental impact assessment proves the good outweighs the bad in relation to the project.
But, residents were still generally dissatisfied with the project, especially as it relates to location and the feared environmental fallouts.
Project approved in principle
The Town and Country Department are now responsible to take the concerns of residents into consideration when deciding whether to approve the development. Other things to be considered is the results of the developers’ environmental impact assessment, which was redone after the 2017 disasters.
Though a final decision is still to be made, Chief Planner Greg Adams told BVI News the project has been “approved in principle”.
“With any largescale development, the planning authority has to its disposal the use of public meetings to gather input from the community to help them to formulate a decision,” explained Adams, who said his department will not make a decision before August when another community meeting is held.
Chief Planner Greg Adams
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Done Deal, This is just a formality
spot on, this is a done deal nothing will change now
THOSE WHITE FOLKS ARE STILL GOING TO BLOCK IT
Damn white people ruining everything here in paradise.
Damm right, all that soap, medicine, piped water, electricity, democracy, internet, jet planes and longer lives.
What did whitey ever do for us?
Really?
You think that white people are the cause of your problems? Exactly where would you be with out them? Tourism, investors, renters, income from so many sources that you benefit from and you still want to play the racism card?
Do you realize that it is people like you that make it hard to believe that Tortola welcomes visitors of any race or color?
If you want your island to yourself, get it up and running by yourself. See how far that will get you.
Amazing how angry you are over your own lack of structure and planning. Blaming it on the white folks.
Always easier to place the blame on someone else.
Why not just shut the island down to all tourists.
Then, you will have full control and more importantly, no one to blame for your demise. Come up with your own money to fix the island.
You love the money that white folks bring but you hate them at the same time.
You don’t think they notice?
But, you are willing to keep taking and you keep bitching. Taking advantage whenever you can.
Lot’s of hate going on. Whatever happened to One Love?
You sure seem racist to me.
Not all of us are like this idiot. Some ppl need to go jump off a clif
There are a lot of ‘done deals’ here when it comes to development but I can’t imagine any funder in their right mind wanting to put $70 million plus into such a development in that location and proximity to Nanny Cay. But I guess only time will tell.
I am no architect, but from the picture it looks like the reclaimed land will extend out to where it is about 60 feet deep. Where do they plan to find that kind of volume of fill?
Its nothing to do with the environment, we just love to say no to everything. We dont eant development but we want jobs and opportunities. Keep dreaming!
I wish I could like your comment 100 times. The same persons opposing this will be first to apply for jobs.
Development is a must if you want to boost the economy, create jobs,etc. Why try fight everything that could help create jobs and so forth for ppl, everything is bad for environment this and that but yet we still destroy the environment our selves with the way we discard of trash, waste products, etc just to name a few.
Looks like another Prospect Reef LOLz
Why don’t they just do THIS development at Prospect Reef? Must be a lot cheaper and easier to buy the land off Government than to reclaim it. The harbour is already there. And Prospect Reef is just a disaster area that Government clearly has no money to do anything about.
and will only cost 70 Million and the taxpayer will end up paying 90 million to redo Prospect Reef – another done deal!
When are going to stop saying no to every development? This type of development is needed. We have about 200 high schoolers and another 100 college students entering into the local job market annually. Where are the jobs going to come from? You got it! From creation of new ones. Nay Sayers, are you creating new jobs for these youngsters or are you just protecting the ambience of the environment you have gotten so use to in your twilight years? Obviously, you are only thinking about yourself and not of the children who reside in the BVI. You have travelled the world and like the BVI and want it to remain simple and pristine, which I would like too; but we all have to take a reality check. At some point in time, the BVI has to develop in some places, unfortunately, it is in your neck of the woods. Sorry. However, your protest is still valuable to ensure that it is environmentally friendly and that the BVI stay pristine.
Seems like a very exposed section of the coast for a marina. Are these marina docks fixed concrete docks or floating docks like at Nanny Cay? Where will all these vessels seek shelter in the next major hurricane? They can’t haul out at Nanny Cay because its yard will be full of MarineMax yachts. Sopers Hole(West End) and Sea Cows Bay are obviously NOT protective shelters during a major hurricane.
If JSSR Holdings Ltd. wants to build a 120 room hotel why don’t they just buy the remains of Prospect Reef and re-build that eyesore!
Storm surge!!! With all due respect — —– Is paid by the developers to say and minimize any concerns regarding this proposed marina. The break-water bulkheads pictured above are in deep water – how would this affect he currents in and around that development? Also will there be piles driven to the solid rock in the seabed to mitigate against future seismic activities if the structures will be on fill/reclaimed land? Will the Drakes Highway be widened to facilitate construction work and the motorijbg public to the western side of the island? What are the surface run-off mitigation measures? Will they (developers) replant the mangroves and other eco-systems native to that area (flora/fauna)? Yes we need developments for obvious economic reasons; however what we need are smart and eco-sensitive developments especially along our fragile coastlines!
If you think investors will put this amount of money into something easily destroyed you are showing you know ABSOLUTLY NOTHING ABOUT INVESTMENTS OR THE ENVIRONMENT. STOP HATING ON PEOPLE MAKING A POSITIVE SITUATION. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HELP BVI? OH RIGHT, WHINED AT YOUR KEYBOARD ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT. RIGHT BEFORE YOU THROW TRASH INTO THE SEA I BET. GET IT TOGETHER BVI
Nobody in planning or the government gives a F…k about the harm these developments have on the environment, shoreline and reefs – lets just carry on ruining paradise for profit and back handlers – another disastrous Prospect reef white elephant looms on the horizon – a total disgrace
We need development, but do we want a plague of Scrub Islands? , which this looks exactly like. We cannot compete with low cost mass tourism destinations like the DR and soon Cuba. We should be looking to be the bigger and better St Bart’s with sailing, not Cancun in the Caribbean.
Great idea to have some more really crap disappearing beaches just like Brandy Wine Bay – how many dollars has been wasted on that?
@Reality…..USD $8,000,000.00 PLUS and counting…..a money pit that has no bottom….or sand….lol…
Wickhams Cay I and II is all reclaimed land. How come it hasnt all fallen into the sea yet?
It is the sheer idiocity of these comments, scientists and all those lettered,nothwithstanding, that baffles me.
Financial Services is on its death bed. The country needs jobs and more jobs when that fateful day arrives.
Congrats to all those involved that continue to ensure the survivability of this countrys economy by whatever means neccessary!
Ausar – what ignorance you spout! Let’s sell our soul to the Devil then for filthy lucre and witness the destruction of our shorelines….
What a ridiculous and uninformed statement. Be sure you and yours DONT EVER APPLY FOR JONS THERE, HATER. LET US ALL KNOW WHEN YOUR BRILLIANT MIND CREATES MUCH NEEDED JOBS IN THE ISLANDS AND WE’LL SUPPORT YOU. UNTIL THAT DAY SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND LET THE GROWN PEOPLE WORK
CW – why so angry miss? Why the ‘caps’? You see
Mad at everyone that have differing opinions from yourself! Can you not write without being so dang hostile in your written thoughts? Now google this: liquefaction
Then come back and tell me your brilliant engineering solutions. Also to Ausar – just becaus Wickhams cay has not seen seismic activity near enough that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any structural gainers at those structures! I’d advise you to have a gander without those rose coloured sunglasses next time you visit us from your gated enclave!
Didn’t any of you learn from IrMaria that what we once thought as strong buildings were in fact not as anticipated!! Wait man seismic activity near the shore heaven forbid one day will wake up a lot of y’all want to be engineers and designers! Wait man….
There some people in this country who dont want to work and fronting for people who dont care for the environment or well being of country only want to make money.