The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis' declaration that his government's decision on Lighthouse Point, Eleuthera, would not be swayed by environmental arguments for or against a project there, was yesterday labelled "disappointing" by ReEarth president Sam Duncombe.

The activist told The Tribune yesterday that Dr Minnis' performance at a town hall meeting on Wednesday night left more questions than answers, insisting that his stance on the importance of environmental arguments signals that his mind could already be made up, prior to meeting with environmentalists and the One Eleuthera Foundation in the coming days.

Mrs Duncombe said she was shocked and appalled by the structure of the town hall meeting and how it was executed.

The event was billed as a meeting where Dr Minnis would speak to residents about Eleuthera's economy, but sources told The Tribune that Disney supporters staged a mini-rally at the site prior to the meeting commencing.

Additionally, sources claimed speakers at the forum were arranged according to their level of support of Disney's proposal - with those opposing the project not being offered suitable periods to raise their points.

These claims were denied by the Eleuthera Community Support Group (CSG), the organisation that has led a pro-Disney faction on the ground in Eleuthera.

Following statements by several residents, Dr Minnis took to the microphone to declare that his administration would not consider the environmental arguments being levied concerning the project.

According to Dr Minnis, the decision was made in large part because a more damaging project - one that never materialised - was approved for the area in 2008 under the FNM government of Hubert Ingraham, he said. Dr Minnis was minister of health in that administration.

"In 2008, a project was approved for South Eleuthera which allowed dredging and multiple canal networks in that same property," he said, "dredging of the salt pond into the ocean, creation of marinas for mega yachts, provision of land for different homes, boutiques, etc, and this was what was approved for that property and some may argue that the land will be destroyed but this project which was approved would've caused more destruction than what is being looked at today.

"...The argument about the destruction of the land will hold no water," he said on Wednesday.

Commenting on Dr Minnis' position yesterday, Mrs Duncombe said: "I'm very disappointed with how he handled things."

She added: "It was proposed as a forum for residents to speak their minds for either side. It felt as if he made his decision in that moment."

Mrs Duncombe claimed the comments illustrated a "tip of the hat" to Disney.

"I can't say it's a conclusion," she said. "But, I don't like the way everything sounded. He didn't say it was the end, decision has been made. But his word choices and the way he presented what he presented, I don't like the way it sounds.

"You know they say it is not over until the fat lady sings, but what I heard and saw last night, it was horribly depressing. I am most of all depressed by the fact that his government has gone on and on about Bahamians first, growing our country and true national development…. And now it is almost a completely different tone.

"It is almost as if he said screw the environment. That is why I am disturbed and bothered by this. The environment is our business man, come on. Our environment is why we have a tourism product to begin with."

Addressing the 2008 deal to which Dr Minnis referred, Mrs Duncombe said it would be "nationally counterproductive" to measure any future deal with the metric used to approve the previous proposal for the property.

"You can't do that," she said. "Well, one should not seek to do that. You can't hold up one horrible and say to us, 'because it isn't as bad as this, it's okay.' That 2008 deal, it didn't go down; thankfully, but to hold that up as the measuring stick, come on.

"That ridiculous project shouldn't be the thing we hold anything against," she said.

Research by Tribune Business uncovered a 2008 press release announcing a joint venture between The Related Group and Meritage Hospitality Group for the property.

Financial woes for developers slowed, and ultimately stalled the project.

One Eleuthera is currently locked in a public campaign to block Disney Cruise Line's acquisition of the property.

The cruise company has taken preparatory steps to acquire the historic site for the construction of multi-million-dollar cruise port, promising a $400m spend.

Dr Minnis is expected to make a final decision on the project next week.