There are a number of matters circulating within the community at this time, prompted perhaps by the rush by Government to advance certain projects that could have the effect of shoring up its image just before elections. Unfortunately, in the rush to achieve these projects Government seems to be making some dangerous mistakes and overlooking some very serious issues. It will take a number of articles for me to properly address all of these matters but I will seek to do so over the weeks ahead. Many of these matters have been brought to my attention by Anguillians who are anxious for something positive to happen on the island, but are at the same time concerned about the effects of this hurried approach.
I have chosen in this article to speak about the proposed acquisition by Ce Blue Resort of Crocus Bay, Anguilla, of lands formerly occupied by GE Water Plant. It is well known that the Government of Anguilla has been for some time now rationing water because of its inability to resolve issues with GE relating to outstanding liabilities. That issue has now come to a head and apparently GE intends to remove its plant and other equipment pretty soon. Whether or not the Government should have stepped in to come to some agreement with GE is another matter, but for the time being the concern here is over a letter to Crocus Bay Development from the Chief Minister dated December 18, 2013 relating to the issue at hand.
The text of the letter to Crocus Bay Development (the company that owns Ce Blue) reads as follows:
“This letter is written in regards to your correspondence expressing interests in the property currently occupied by the former GE water diesel plant at Crocus Bay.
We understand that your intention is to expand Ce Blue with Villas comprising of more rooms. We are fully in support of the room expansion and it is our intent to facilitate same through a leasehold agreement. We look forward to working through the details of the transaction with you.
Sincerely yours,
Hubert B. Hughes.”
Crocus Bay Development/Ce Blue is a wonderful project sitting on lands – owned by an Anguillian – on the northern side of the surrounding hillsides overlooking the Bay. It was approved during the AUF Government’s term of office, and the developers began construction on the good word of the past Government without any request for duty free concessions or any signed MoA/MoU. The principals have been transparent with Government in all of their dealings and have met their commitments. They have also supported social and community causes and have maintained a good public relations image on this account. The shower and restroom facilities at Crocus Bay were built and donated by them. It is also praiseworthy that they are working with the community to develop a small park on the lands formerly occupied by the Fisheries Department.
Another interesting point is that during the last election the present Government was very critical of the AUF for its plans to remove; relocate; and rebuild the fisheries building (elsewhere) and create a more friendly and pleasing entrance to the project. In fact, upon coming to Office one of this AUM Government’s first actions was to stop the negotiations and even threaten to frustrate the continued development of the project. The AUF had already made plans for the construction of the new fisheries building at no cost to the GoA. In fact, even after the removal of the old building the site was to remain as a public park. Such a fuss was made by the inexperienced Ministers of the AUM Government that eventually all those plans for a new fisheries building appear to have been abandoned. A clear case of trying to fix something that was not broken and ending up with a worse condition. Subsequently, however, the relationship between the AUM Government and that developer seems to have improved considerably to the extent that the Chief Minister’s son was the contractor who worked on the finishing aspects of the project.
What is happening now, based on the Chief Minister’s letter to Crocus Bay Development and other reliable sources, is that the CM is ready to handover the lands for the expansion of Ce Blue to the developer. I would be most happy to see the expansion of Ce Blue and I am extremely pleased with the project. But based on my research the proposal leads to a number of concerns as follows: –
1. There is a shortage of public parking and other facilities for Crocus Bay, which is a fishing village and community beach. Because of the terrain, Government needs to ensure that there is adequate provision for use by fishermen and the enjoyment of the community. Some of those reasons are:
• It is the only available Government land in the area.
• There will be need for more land in the area for fishermen to pull up and store their boats and equipment as the industry grows.
• The area is a cultural and recreational spot for residents of The Valley Community in particular and island-wide in general.
• The area is already being used for family and community picnics and celebrations.
2. The removal of the GE plant and facilities does not mean the end of future usage of the site for water production. There were clear reasons why the site was chosen in the first place and even more compelling reasons why it should remain for that purpose. Some of those reasons are:
• The proximity of the location relative to the storage facilities ensures the minimum pumping costs.
• The transmission pipeline that moves water from the point of production to storage is already in place and has been paid for over time.
• The feed water intake that gets the water from the sea to supply the plant is already in place and paid for.
• The brine disposal facility is already in place and has been operating to provide an environmentally friendly means of disposal of rejected waste water from both RO facilities. It is already paid for.
• The electricity supply that feeds the plant is already at the site and can be activated at a moments notice.
• The site is readily accessible and can be monitored from the main office at Crocus Hill.
• The relocation of the plant from Crocus Bay automatically increases its operational costs, specifically the costs associated with pumping.
• Relocating the plant also means relocating the infrastructure at a huge cost. The infrastructure associated with this facility is less than fifteen years. Typically this kind of infrastructure can last for a hundred years or more.
3. Once private accommodations encroach the public area, it will present issues of conflict with the traditional local activities referred to earlier, and may lend itself to a breakdown in the goodwill and harmony that now exist between the developers and the community.
The details of the Ce Blue expansion project are not yet available to the public. However, I firmly believe that, given the issues raised, there is need for considerable public and technical consultation on this matter. It must be borne in mind that there are other options available to Ce Blue for its expansion plans but, on the other hand, there are hardly any other feasible options available to the Water Authority and the community. There are landowners in the area that may be willing to enter into arrangements with Ce Blue that could be mutually beneficial. In addition, it seems inevitable that in terms of its public relations it would not be wise for the company to underestimate the gravity of these concerns.
Having said all of the foregoing, there may be ways that the project can coexist with all the other players discussed in this presentation. However, I firmly believe that the Government appears too anxious to move forward and in their haste may not pay due attention to these issues. Furthermore, even now there are rumours in the community that the GoA has already disposed of the property for a new fire truck for the airport. This does not seem plausible given my knowledge of the principals of Crocus Bay Development and their genuine willingness to respond to social issues as a part of their corporate policy. Yet I am not prepared to exclude any probabilities in this hurried approach.
There is also a rumour that the contract for the expansion has already been settled. Again I refrain from jumping to judgment — but sadly I have heard even more startling things about this Government’s modus operandi. I would not, however, blame the developers for getting the best deal they can — after all, investors must get a favourable return on their investment. However, I would want them to weigh the consequences even while the GoA is in a hurry to progress things quickly.
I cannot fault the Government for trying to improve its image after four years of “do-nothingness”. The lies and the blame game are losing their effect. Time is almost up! Election is around the corner and it is already the last year of a five-year term. Very few persons seem impressed. Should the developer take advantage of these ideal circumstances for extracting a good deal? Should the Government speed up the approval process to get something going to save face? Again, I must repress the urge to be judgmental. But I do have one singular piece of advice that should apply to both the Government and the developer that may serve them well. It is a saying steeped in local idiom: “Hurry dog eat raw corn!”
