Bell Island, Exumas — An application to dredge into the sea bed at Bell Island in the Exuma Land and Sea Park has not even been granted as yet, and the developer is already cutting deep into a limestone hill to create a marina.
The island’s developer, The Aga Khan IV of the Aga Khan Development Network, has two grandiose luxury homes that sit on top of two picturesque hills surrounded by plush natural vegetation on Bell Island in the park. Both homes have similar designs and feature areas of glass walls and a box shape that let’s in light at key areas of the homes. Manicured landscapes hug the homes, which are spaced far apart on one of the most beautiful and more elevated islands in the park.
One home sits just below the helicopter pad, which is a clean, grassy area on another hill. It’s the landing pad of the 13-seat helicopter that has been the center of headline stories, as the press and the public seek answers and call for more transparency as it pertains to developments on Crown Land in The Bahamas.
Ever since The Tribune ran a red-letter story disclosing how Environment Minister Earl Deveaux received rides in the Aga Khan’s helicopter.
He has handed his resignation into Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham. Media officials and the public are anxious for the Prime Minister to respond to this embarrassing situation for his government that claims to operate on a ‘trust factor’.
The Aga Khan IV has an application before the Ministry of Environment which Minister Deveaux said he was ‘minded to’ approve. It will allow the Aga Khan to create a number of marina slips, dredging up to fifteen feet deep. The public has yet to be told how long and how wide the slips will be, leading out to the sea.
Although the application has not been approved, massive demolition of a portion of the hill has already begun. The portion of excavated hill is about 20 feet deep and has been flattened to sea level, making it easier for excavation of the sea bed once the official approval is granted.
But concerns have been raised as the excavation of the hill and the buildings believed to be housing materials indicates that the developer expects to get the approval. Meantime, the hill has already been cut down, unbeknownst to most of the Bahamian public.
There are two main buildings near the area where demolition is being presently carried out, which are believed to house materials to complete the construction of the marina. The island also features a gazebo near a private beach. The gazebo is draped with sheer, white cloth and exudes romanticism. There is also a development on the other side of the island, where it is believed that workmen reside, as tools and equipment can be seen on the lot, and simple, wooden homes are present.
The hill that has been cut down is close to what appears to be the main home, where two satellite dishes are nestled in the bushes and are used for communication on the island. Bell Island features four amazing, heavenly white sandy beaches.
Once a Crown Land lease is up in 47 years, Bahamian children who today aspire to achieve a lease must be afforded the opportunity. If leasing developers like Aga Khan make major detrimental changes to the landscape, it could destroy the sacred land that belongs to the people of the Bahamas that the Minister of the Environment and the Bahamas National Trust has failed to protect.
The Minister has publicly admitted to accepting rides in the luxury helicopter and said he would “do it again”, while it has been revealed that the managing director at BNT accepted a million-dollar grant from the Bell island developer last year.
You know something. Toooo many foreigners come here and do foolishness and they get away with it. Any investor here should know LONG BEFORE they come here that they CANNOT OWN THE LAND OR CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE OF THE LAND OR IT’S SURROUNDING AREAS. If there is a hill build on it. Do not cut it down or remove native trees and not replace the exact same tree. I totally agree with those persons who want the BNT leadership in it’s entirety to step down. This raping of The Bahamas has gone on too long. Is this man the owner of this island or is he just developing this land for someone else who don’t want people to know who they are?
I believe they (investors) have a private club and the motto is ‘Buy land in The Bahamas and do what ever you want. They (Bahamians) do not care and you get things for free, customs, concessions.’ HIS ownership of that property should be challenged and the land bought back from him. BAN HIM FROM THE BAHAMAS.
This is outrageous ……Why are we allowing these people to do this to our beautiful Bahamas!!!! These people are Islam!!!! They are probably building a training facility. Why else would they need so much land???? We are to close to America to allow them to grow their terriest here. This is not a beach resort. This is our version of the 9/11 mosque
Our government is comprised of a bunch of stinking, filthy, corrupt, lying dogs!!! I apologize to all our our canine pets for lack of a better description.
Vipers they are!!! Blood-sucking vipers!!! And let me tell y’all diehard FNM supporters who like to defend every piece of incompetent crap in y’all party-I’m waiting on y’all response to this!!!!
I can’t wait to hear what certain writers have to say about this one.
This is absolutely disgraceful!!! I suppose that when the Aga Khan’s construction is complete Bahamians will no longer have access to Bell Island. I recall that some time ago the Government said that there would be no more cutting down of hills on New Providence and nothing changed!! Now there’s an ugly shopping centre being constructed near East Street/Milo Butler Highway.
Aurelia025 – the one on East Street & Independence Highway is being done by Brent Symonette.
Sounds like if ya hand big den ya straight Mr. Justice.
This is funny. I say that because a company I work for has been applying for a permit to build a small resort on a southern family Island for the past four years, only to be met with resistance the entire way.
The property is 100% bahamian owned as well as the proposed resort. Mr. Major and the Town Planning Commitee have been intentionally dragging their feet the entire time. I don’t know if they want a hand out or they are just incompetent. This is how they treat their fellow Bahamians thou who try to obey the law. We have also furnished every request they have of us. How much patience do they expect us to have?
It seems to me that this is evidence that the Aga Khan is very confident he will get his dredging approval.
THEY MIGHT HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN THE OK, BUT THE PUBLIC DON’T KNOW, CAUSE AIN’T NO MAN CAN COME IN YOUR HOUSE AND WHAT THEY PLEASE UNLESS THEY HAVE YOUR PERMISSION AND IF THEY DON’T HAVE YOUR PERMISSION THEN THEY “TEEFING” RIGHT?
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