Is it time to move Marsh Harbour?

Iram Lewis

As of Monday, February 17, 2020

Reader poll

Do you think Marsh Harbour town centre should be shifted more inland?

Yes 67%
No 33%

67 total votes.

By LEANDRA ROLLE

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

STATE Minister for Disaster Reconstruction Iram Lewis said a discussion “must be had” with landowners in Marsh Harbour, Abaco about possibly rebuilding the town centre more inland in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

His comment came when he was asked yesterday about the role the private sector will play in the redevelopment of Marsh Harbour. Mr Lewis said: “...Marsh Harbour is a special area in that most of the properties are privately owned so if it was government Crown land, if it was a government subdivision, we can just go it there and do what we please.

“But, we must have meetings with all of the necessary stakeholders, most of them being private citizens. So, when you talk about redesigning Marsh Harbour, one of the things that immediately comes to mind is that you must shift the town centre more inland. But, again that is on private property so the discussion must be had with private property owners so that they will all be in agreement and that they must trade off how do they agree and be comfortable with whatever trade offer might come.”

He added: “With respect to Marsh Harbour dock itself, based on the fact that the terminal buildings, the international, the domestic and the administrative buildings right on the harbour itself is too close to the coast, they are now being demolished as we speak. Actively being demolished. We will not put those buildings back in those communication. We will push those away from the seafront, allow us more apron and working space at the harbour itself and put those in a more elevated area.”

Mr Lewis also defended the pace of debris removal and restoration on the island. He said Abaco will not be rebuilt “overnight” as construction on the island alone will take years.

“…I did say that there will be years of construction. It doesn’t happen overnight. It will be a long time. There’s a lot of debris to clean up and we had to be very sensitive in how we clean those debris in areas like the Peas and the Mudd.

“We couldn’t take any of the machines and just be insensitive. We had to take that layer by layer and there were a lot of pits for waste disposal all over there, so we had to be very careful. We’re now in the area of Marsh Harbour itself going towards the ferry dock, a lot of privately-owned properties. We have no right to just go on their properties and clean without having the permission of the owners.

“We’re asking (the owners) to do their best in bringing their debris to the roadside so once it’s at the roadside, we can go and remove it so it’s a partnership so once we have full cooperation from all, I’m sure that we will work as fast and we’ve been doing that.”

He said officials have seen “tremendous progress” on the storm impacted island since the passage of the monster storm.

“The unfortunate thing is that there will always be naysayers and persons will always have their opinion. I invite all to go there and to measure where we were immediately after Dorian and where we are now and use their best judgments,” he told reporters on the sidelines at a recovery policy workshop yesterday.

“I am not one to feed a negative monster. I like to focus on the positive. I like to focus on what we have achieved and use that as a springboard moving forward so we have made tremendous progress and I believe it will come.”

After Hurricane Dorian ravaged Abaco and Grand Bahama in early September, the government awarded contracts to several companies to assist with the clean-up process.

However, in recent weeks, many Abaco residents have expressed disappointment with the process, saying more can be done.

The minister was also asked about the pledges made during the Hurricane Dorian Pledging Conference last month and concerning when they will be made available to the public.

However, to this, he replied: “I believe that there was no secret with respect to the pledging conference itself. It was wide open for everyone to be there to take pictures and to record. There was no anonymous donors.

“Everyone was very open with what their proposals were and I’m sure that all the information that needs to be had is available to the public.”

bahamianson 4 years, 10 months ago

If you are talking about having insurance, i can't imagine how much it would cost. I can imagine illegals living there again because it will be too expensive to legally build also possessing insurance .

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 10 months ago

Iram Lewis is clueless as to what needs to be done for the longer term. He's much more concerned about steering from within the PM's Office all of the cronyism that Minnis is injecting into government and donor funded post-Dorian recovery projects.

The government need only put taxpayer supported infrastructure where it will least likely be demolished by another Category 5+ hurricane and make sure illegal Haitian aliens are rounded up and deported to Haiti whenever they try to re-establish illegal shanty town settlements. Private property owners in the pre-Dorian Marsh Harbour area should not be given any taxpayer support for the rebuilding of their properties and should be free to rebuild using their own financial resources and at their own financial risk, provided they comply with all of the necessary building code requirements as amended from time to time.

Our government needs to stop the moral hazard associated with giving financial support to private property owners who choose to foolishly rebuild on low-lying seashore land and continue not to carry sufficient (if any) property insurance. Why should the taxpayers in New Providence be taxed to pay for the hurricane related losses or rebuilding efforts of private property owners in Marsh Harbour when it is not in the best interest of our country for a large portion of Marsh Harbour to be located where it was before being demolished by Dorian?

alfalfa 4 years, 10 months ago

Using the above logic, we need to move Freeport, West end and East end Grand Bahama. Also South beach and Pinewood Gardens in New Providence. Then Spanish Wells, Current, and James Cistern Eleuthera. Need I go on? You got to be joking.

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 10 months ago

Iram Lewis, like Minnis and Turnquest, need to understand that private property owners can build on their properties wherever located as long as they do so without the expectation of taxpayer support and the buildings comply with all relevant building codes. Government should avoid putting major infrastructure (e.g. electrical transformer stations, etc.) on public lands that are most vulnerable to major storm surges and flooding unless the residents who foolishly choose to build in those areas are willing to pay for such infrasture themselves. That's just common sense because the next Cat 5+ hurricance will be hitting us somewhere in the Bahamas before we know it.

bogart 4 years, 10 months ago

In 30 years time by 2050 ocean levels expected to rise 19 inches. Bahamas is one of the prone 80 % Bahamas affected. Further aspect of Antartic glacier and Greeland ice shiels still yet to add to the flooding. ANDROS residents admit to seeing rising levels and Govt alrrady committed to seawalls Stafford Creek and othet areas. Children in present an future Govt Schools will have to be dealing with rising levels affecting their lives. Even the present University of the Bahamas in Freeport chosen to rebuild on better location.

DWW 4 years, 10 months ago

All of Downtown Nassau needs to be relocated too. its all at about 3 feet above high water mark. Once could argue that Marsh Harbour has more elevation than Nassau...

proudloudandfnm 4 years, 10 months ago

Marsh Harbour has gone thru many hurricanes throughout history. Inland meant nothing in Dorian, surge travelled 5 to 6 miles "inland". Stop saying stuff just for the sake of saying stuff. Dorian showed us moving inland will accomplish nothing... Damn.... We need to build up not inland....

Personally I'm hoping Dorian is not our new norm. If it is we're screwed. Inland aint gonna do it...

bogart 4 years, 10 months ago

..."...you have to build up not inland"

You have the piece in the survival. Venice is going under, Jakarta is looking for new Capitsl.The Dutch is and has been decades underwater, they have excavated areas, built up other areas, created land and used combinations of barriers and flood zones to survive and much better than other Europe. The critical part is to survive as a nation all functions to have all survive.

Studies, developments need to start now and the Bahamas problem is monumential in that there is the huge task of doing studies and development times the many islands each replicating plan for survival of the longest.

While many bloggers are unlikely to be around in 50-100 years, we owe our descendants like chillrens now in school we see everyday and their chillren the best chance.

Chucky 4 years, 10 months ago

If all that were true, do you really want any decisions made based on studies performed by our people. Look we’re its gotten us to date. Name one competent person or company that actually is up to par , first world standard in their field? I’ll give you a clue, there isn’t one, not even one Bahamian that we can bank on.

bogart 4 years, 10 months ago

@chucky fully agree with you about the persons. There will be opportunists trying to acquire land, corner land for their interests etc.

Bahamas has capabilities to get organized Department...obtain plans from University students...look towards Bahamas National Trust in control of stewartship of massive territory...BREA....get mapping dept pulling out topography maps of islands, sea, cays ....look at geographic, contours high low..etc...ldemographics population areas...economic...accrss to hospital school business area...look at best options to have survival of communities.....Actually Freeport Grand Bahama was designed to have best with industrial areas, residentiol etcetcetc....but Climate Changes never significant 70 years ago was that important. Yes Chucky you are right but ....

proudloudandfnm 4 years, 10 months ago

Our government needs to stop and take a breath. Time to get real about hurricanes. We need a way to protect ourselves. We don't need panic and dumb ideas like move inland. Come to GB so we can show you how far inland the flood waters travelled... GET REAL NOW!!!

bcitizen 4 years, 10 months ago

There is not one piece of land in the Bahamas that is not considered coastal. Are they going to move Nassau as well? Bay street floods with a bad north easter and the whole island floods every time a shower of rain passes over. This is foolish talk and not based on the realities of the geographic makeup of our islands. What next no hotels on the water front? I guess we better tear down Atlantis and Baha Mar. The sea is what we have to sell and unfortunately we must be close to it. If this is not the new norm a storm like this is a once in a lifetime event.

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 10 months ago

It's the new norm.

Chucky 4 years, 10 months ago

why not just move the Bahamas, less the corrupt and criminal people.
Wait, then who would we move?

DWW 4 years, 10 months ago

If the government made crown land available south of Marsh Harbour, i'm sure the town would grow that direction. But over the past years, there is no land available to acquire. Heck i'd pay fair value for a 1 acre parcel to develop right now but it isn't available. Mr. Lewis may want to spend more time doing some homework before speaking out on matters which he is unfamiliar.

TalRussell 4 years, 10 months ago

Scary stuff spoken here by another red Imperialists Politically selected from under red shirts circus tent - appointed Comrade Crown Minister for Delivering Even More Lasting Disaster Than Hurricane Dorian, Warning of Red Government's true Intent - Abacoians, Go Reconstruct Yourselves - But Do It, Elsewhere? Can't write this. Just, can't - that is unless you're a disenfranchised by your red government comrade blogger - hailing out Ragged Island or Queen's Cove?

hrysippus 4 years, 10 months ago

It is time to start the conversation about moving the Bahamas to someplace that has more elevation above sea level. Could we all contribute and purchase a couple of those Rocky Mountains from the State of Colorado? Surely they do need all of them...…..

truetruebahamian 4 years, 10 months ago

there must be sun sea sand and birth control!

stillwaters 4 years, 10 months ago

Amen!

Islangal1 4 years, 10 months ago

How it go? When you vote for CLOWNS, you get a circus. They always come up with these asinine solutions when they don't have a clue what to do. SMT

The_Oracle 4 years, 10 months ago

Setting themselves up as the great provider ensures People's Failure to Insure, Failure to save, Failure to prepare. It also ensures Government Fiscal failure, because the government cannot "give away" what it does not first collect from the People. Minister Lewis is a temporary Rock star. Acting like one, being paid like one, getting little done.

TalRussell 4 years, 10 months ago

Abaco's strong and vibrant pre Hurricane Dorian economy was built by Abacoians - and efforts foreign residents - older and younger alike - all possessing the collective wits and a natural entrepreneurial spirit - geared toward achieving success - not by lounging around waiting freebies - or incentives - to arrive on next mail boat sailing out Nassau - courtesy colony's central government. A lot of love and pride went into building the Abaco's into the crown jewel she was to become and admired by the many spread across and around the world. A life's work of Committed Love** - well done!

Half or more could be taken by the sea and we would still have too many

Let’s hope the bad bunch get taken away with the next “Dorian”

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