The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

TRIBUNE Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

RESIDENTS living near a 13-storey Cable Beach condominium development proposed by an Island Luck co-founder last night voiced concerns over traffic congestion, parking shortages and the potential impact of construction on their properties.

The project planned by Adrian Fox’s Fox Group of Companies, which would feature 64 residential units alongside restaurant and other commercial amenities, came under scrutiny at a Town Planning Committee public consultation. It would be located immediately west of Sandals Royal Bahamian on what appears to be the former Cable Beach Manor site.

It would be based behind an existing office complex near Towers of Cable Beach, and an attorney representing residents of the latter told the consultation her clients are particularly concerned about the structural impact construction could have on their buildings, which date back to 1959.

“My clients have already indicated that they intend to have a survey done,” she said, adding that she wanted to know whether Fox Group would also commission structural surveys that could be compared to determine the potential effects of the development on neighbouring buildings.

“I would like to hear that the Fox Group is carrying out such surveys that can be compared, so that we can see what those impacts might be, and proper adjustments are made, accommodations are made, to prevent any material implication for my clients' buildings,” she said.

The attorney also raised concerns about the effects of construction on residents, including vibrations, dust, noise and the movement of heavy trucks, questioning what restrictions will be imposed on working hours and how those activities would be monitored.

“These are private residences. These are people who live there. Their families are there. That's where they live day and night,” she said. She also questioned whether construction-related dust could affect residents' health, recounting how renovation work at her own home had triggered asthma symptoms in a member of her household.

The attorney said more than 85 per cent of people living at Towers of Cable Beach were permanent residents, while others occupied units under long-term leases.

She further questioned whether the proposed restaurant and bar would have operating hours appropriate for the surrounding residential community, warning that noise could become another source of disruption.

Parking was another major concern raised during the consultation, with residents questioning whether the proposed 86 spaces will adequately accommodate condominium owners, employees, visitors and customers using the development's amenities.

One participant argued that buyers of expensive condominium units will likely require two parking spaces each, meaning the 64 proposed units could generate demand for 128 spaces before accounting for restaurant customers and employees.

“These are going to be expensive apartments. No one's going to buy an expensive apartment if they're only near 1.3 parking spaces. People are going to need two parking spaces,” the resident said.

“By my maths, you need 128 parking spaces. You've got a gym, you've got a restaurant, you've got offices. This 13 storeys, to me, is not fit for purpose. It's just too big for the available parking spaces.”

The attorney representing Towers of Cable Beach also warned against parking spilling on to surrounding roads, pointing to problems experienced at the nearby GoldWynn Resorts and Residences development at Goodman’s Bay where existing road space had been taken up to accommodate vehicles.

“We don't want to see that happen again,” she said, adding that residents should not have to endure further inconvenience and discomfort because of insufficient parking provision.

Albert Saunders, architect for the Fox Group development, clarified that the 86 spaces proposed for the condominium would be separate from 42 spaces being developed for the existing office complex.

However, residents continued to question whether the condominium's allocation will be sufficient for residents, employees and restaurant customers. Mr Saunders said the 86 spaces were intended to serve the development as a whole and confirmed that construction workers and employees would also park on-site.

A suggestion that underground parking be considered was also raised, but Mr Saunders said it had not been considered at this stage.

Residents questioned how the new development will affect traffic along the Cable Beach strip, which they said was already experiencing significant congestion, particularly with Prospect Ridge Road closed.

Mr Saunders said reopening Prospect Ridge Road was not something the developer had considered, as it was a government matter.

Town Planning representatives said the developer will be required to communicate with the Ministry of Works, and undertake a road assessment, to determine how traffic flow could best be managed in the area.

Concerns were also raised about the technical details of construction, including the type of piling that would be used and the potential for vibrations to affect neighbouring buildings.

Mr Saunders said the Fox Group had not yet completed the geotechnical survey needed to determine how deep the foundations would have to go. Based on his experience with equipment available locally, he said auger piles would likely be used.

However, residents questioned why the developer had not brought a contractor or other technical representative to explain the proposed construction methods and provide assurances about potential impacts.

One participant questioned how the consultation could meaningfully assess the project without more information about its economic, environmental and construction implications.

“Wouldn't that then ascertain what Town Planning can do, and what the environmental department can do, and what approvals you would need?” the resident asked. “Why are we here?”

Mr Saunders explained that detailed construction documents would be prepared after the site plan approval process, saying the developer had not yet started that work because it had not received permission to build.

A Town Planning representative defended the preliminary nature of the consultation, explaining that developers were not expected to spend money on detailed engineering work before knowing whether the proposed land use and development could be approved.

Another official said the Committee could impose conditions or require changes to the proposal, including reducing its height if the site could not accommodate 13 floors.

“We may say, after our meeting, that we don't believe that the land capacity could ratify 13 floors, and we may say you need to cut it to ten floors,” the official said, noting that similar changes had been required of other developments.

The official added that parking was among the issues that would have to be addressed before approval was granted, explaining that if the proposed building could not accommodate adequate parking, the Committee would not approve it as submitted.

Town Planning representatives also explained that site plan approval was only the initial stage of the process, with further environmental assessments and building approval requirements to follow.

Asked whether the plans would have to be revised if subsequent environmental assessments found that neighbouring buildings could not withstand the vibration from piling, an official confirmed that changes could be required.

The attorney representing Towers of Cable Beach stressed that her clients wanted to remain involved as the project progressed and receive information about the assessments being undertaken.

“What we don't want is for it to be signed off one and done, and the next thing we know about this massive building, my clients have structural cracks. You know, people are getting sick,” she said.

She said her clients were willing to share their own findings with the authorities but wanted assurances that their concerns would be considered throughout the approval process.

Mr Saunders also faced questions about the proposed development's electricity requirements, with residents asking whether it would rely entirely on Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) or incorporate alternative energy sources.

He replied that the Fox Group would complete its plans and submit them to BPL and Bahamas Grid Company to determine whether the existing network can accommodate the project. No alternative power sources have been proposed at this stage.

Other questions concerned the proposed restaurant's operating hours, the number of employees expected to be hired and whether the development's amenities will be available to non-residents through a membership arrangement. Mr Saunders said those details were still being worked out.

Residents also sought clarification on the location of the high-water mark and the distance between the proposed building and the beach. Mr Saunders estimated that the development would be about 80 feet from the rear property boundary but acknowledged that the high-water mark was not shown on the site plan presented.

The Fox Group is also proposing repairing the seawall along its property boundary, Mr Saunders said, while officials indicated that further information about property boundaries and beach access would be provided.

The proposed development is expected to take between 24 and 30 months to construct once the necessary approvals are obtained.

Town Planning representatives said the Committee's decision and any conditions attached to an approval would be circulated to participants who provided their e-mail addresses, while further objections could be submitted as the process continued.

Fox Group’s website says it has four real estate projects, worth a combined $350m, in the development pipeline. These are the Cable Beach Hotels and Residences, Discovery Island, Vistonian and Foxview, the latter of which is said to have been completed.

The first two, Cable Beach Hotels and Residences and Discovery Island, appear to form the project that Mr Fox and the Fox Group signed a Heads of Agreement with the Government for in February 2025. This was for a $300m project billed as creating up to 1,000 permanent jobs.

They at the time confirmed plans to develop the former Cable Beach Manor apartments immediately to the west of Sandals Royal Bahamian into a mixed-use resort complex plus transform part of nearby Balmoral Island into “a recreational paradise” featuring a 100-slip marina, 23 land and over-water cottages, helipad and seaplane docking facilities.

Mr Fox had also revealed to Tribune Business in October 2021 his desire to transform the former Cable Beach Manor site into a $100m European-style boutique resort that would create 300 full-time jobs. But, given that the condo project before the Departmnent of Physical Planning appears to be targeted at the same location, it appears the plans may have changed again.