The Tribune

• Slams resort for organising ‘meritless campaign’

• Resorts say go-ahead ‘premature’; plan appeal

• But request for 4-week delay was ‘unreasonable’

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Wendy’s yesterday blasted Atlantis for masterminding a “meritless, aggressive and self-serving campaign” that failed to prevent the fast-food brand gaining planning approval for its Paradise Island restaurant.

Psomi Holdings, an affiliate of Aetos Holdings, the Wendy’s and Marco’s Pizza franchisee, said in a statement that it now “intends to get on with the business of what it does best” by investing $3m to convert the former Scotiabank branch into a location for both brands after the Town Planning Committee granted the project site plan approval subject to several modest conditions.

However, the Association that represents Atlantis and other major Paradise Island resorts and developers, yesterday warned that the battle is far from over. Pledging to appeal the Town Planning Committee’s decision “as soon as possible”, the Paradise Island Tourism Development Association (PITDA) slammed the approval as “premature” and said it will continue with its traffic impact study.

The Association had last week urged the Town Planning Committee to delay any decision on the Wendy’s/Marco’s Pizza restaurant application by four weeks to allow time for its contractor, Caribbean Civil Group, to conduct an assessment of the impact the project will likely have on traffic flows, congestion and parking in that area of Paradise Island.

However, Keenan Johnson, the Town Planning Committee’s chairman, told Tribune Business it would have been “unreasonable” to grant the Association’s request given that interested parties had previously been given a month’s notice that the application was coming up for a public hearing. As a result, he argued that it - and all other opponents - had already been given sufficient time to conduct any studies deemed relevant.

Atlantis declined to comment when contacted by Tribune Business last night, but Wendy’s left observers in little doubt as to who it viewed as the primary source of opposition to its project.

Gail Lockhart-Charles KC, Psomi’s attorney, said in a statement to Tribune Business: “Strong support for this project in the community has never wavered despite the meritless, aggressive and self-serving campaign orchestrated by Atlantis and its agents.

“Now that the project has been approved, Psomi intends to get on with the business of what it does best - providing jobs for Bahamians and high-quality, affordable food for its customers.”

She added: “Our client expects to spend more than $3m to completely renovate and outfit the old Scotiabank space, and it is anticipated that, at a minimum, they will create 75 full-time construction jobs and between 100 to 125 permanent full-time jobs once the project is completed and commences operations.

“Our client, a 100 percent Bahamian-owned business, is setting a positive example by investing without requesting a single dollar in taxpayer concessions and its profits are reinvested right here at home.......

“We believe that the Town Planning Committee was completely correct to find that ‘based on a view of the surrounding area, the Town Planning Committee determined that the proposed restaurants are a compatible land use on the subject site’.”

The project’s opponents, not surprisingly, disagree. Glen Haddad, the Paradise Island Tourism Development Association’s (PITDA) executive vice-president, said: “The Paradise Island Tourism Development Association (PITDA) and its member hotels and properties are extremely disappointed in the Town Planning Committee’s decision today to approve the Wendy’s and Marco’s Pizza site plan for Paradise Island.

“PITDA will file an appeal as soon as possible, and will also continue with our traffic impact study over the next few weeks. We believe it was premature of the Committee to make its decision without the benefit of objective evidence on the impact that this proposal is likely to have on the businesses and residents in the immediate surrounding area.”

Besides Atlantis, the other resorts and PITDA members said to oppose the Wendy’s restaurant project include Bay View Suites Paradise Island; Comfort Suites Paradise Island; Paradise Island Beach Club; The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort; Paradise Landing (the former Hurricane Hole); and Ocean Club Estates.

However, Mr Johnson told Tribune Business that the Town Planning Committee had assessed the traffic-related raised and determined there was “sufficient” parking for the Wendy’s/Marco’s Pizza restaurant “given the circumstances of the area”. He added that there were also no restrictive covenants or other legal obstacles preventing use of that location for a fast-food restaurant.

“The Committee reviewed the application itself. We looked at the conveyance. We were satisfied there are no restrictive covenants that prevent that kind of development on that piece of property,” Mr Johnson said.

“We debated over the public hearing, and we were satisfied as a result that what we were looking to do was compatible with the surrounding area. One of the things we focused on was the surrounding area and we were satisfied that project is compatible with the surrounding area.”

Asked how strong a case Wendy’s opponents made over the alleged parking and traffic flow issues, Mr Johnson said he did not want to attach a particular weight or emphasis to this because they are “key things” that the Town Planning Committee must always assess.

“We thought those were things we needed to understand and appreciate,” he added. “We looked into it, and made a decision given the circumstances in the area that parking was sufficient for the area. We look at it on a case-by-case basis, and decided it was sufficient.”

As to why the Town Planning Committee did not grant the four-week delay requested by the Association, Mr Johnson replied: “It was a bit unreasonable. We published the notice for a public hearing well over a month ago.

“We thought that all parties involved and interested would not only have an opportunity to review the file and raise questions prior to the hearing, but would have the opportunity to conduct studies and come prepared with any objections they want to raise.

“The request they made was in writing a day before the hearing and they made it verbally at the public hearing. Had they made their inquiries and looked into it [earlier], they would have been able to have sufficient time to conduct whatever studies were necessary to support their objections.”

Mr Johnson said the Committee had followed the public consultation process required by law, as set out in the Planning and Subdivision Act 2010, and provided all sides “with more than sufficient time to review the files so they could speak to it with a level of competence”. All voices, those in support of the project and those dissenting, had been heard.

The site plan approval issued yesterday for the Paradise Island restaurant project was conditioned on Aetos Holdings providing “proper screening” for the Wendy’s and Marco’s Pizza garbage area and generator. And the Town Planning Committee also drew its attention that it would effectively need Atlantis’ permission to place signs and billboard hoardings at the former Scotiabank branch property.

“This is to inform that the Committee, in their meeting held October 24, 2023, has resolved to grant site plan application approval for the proposed restaurants submitted on behalf of Psomi Holdings relative to the subject matter,” the Town Planning Committee said. “Kindly note that the site plan application approval is subject to the provision of proper screening for garbage receptacle and generator.

“The applicant is to take note of the restrictive covenant set out in conveyances between Paradise Island Ltd and the Bank of Nova Scotia, dated November 9, 1970, and December 21, 1984, clauses seven and two of the second schedule, respectively, which states that no sign, billboard hoarding, or other advertising device of any kind shall be erected or displayed on the said hereditaments without prior written approval of the vendor.”

That vendor, Paradise Island Ltd, is understood to be one of Atlantis’ predecessor companies. PITDA, and the resorts it represents, had said out its case opposing the fast-food brands arrival on Paradise Island in an October 13, 2023, letter from Mr Haddad.

He wrote: “Paradise Island represents carefree days, relaxing white sand beaches, warm turquoise-blue water, natural attractions, one-of-a-kind amenities, world-class resorts and hotels, and celebrity chef restaurants. Ours is an extremely successful formula that employs many thousands of Bahamians.

“Paradise Island is not about fast-food restaurants and cheap menu offerings, and these two brands do not convey what our island truly is... Paradise. If the development of these two restaurants is allowed, then it will open the floodgates to other fast-food restaurants opening on Paradise Island, thus damaging the overall Paradise Island brand, future tourism growth and local food vendors.”

Mr Haddad continued: “In addition, when visitors arrive on to Paradise Island, one of the first things they’ll see is these fast-food locations with windows draped in advertisements for cheap hamburgers and pizza. Not exactly what someone who’s paid thousands of dollars for a vacation in paradise would want to see as they arrive on to the island.

“This is not to mention the likely impact on the already overwhelming ongoing traffic issues and parking shortages, which will no doubt end up further backing up traffic at the exit bridge at peak hours. Any development that damages the Paradise Island brand ultimately harms the thousands of families that are supported by our members. Again, PITDA strongly opposes these, or any, fast-food restaurant chains opening on Paradise Island.”