Parliamentarian Suzann Roberts-Holshouser yesterday called for Government to produce its plan for housing developments in her district in Southside, saying the Island ?deserves better than a knee-jerk reaction?.

Ms Roberts-Holshouser said that the initial plan for St. David?s that was outlined in this year?s budget by Mr. DeVent, including building 145 housing units plus 15 townhouses. This was to be carried out by Bermuda Land Development Company.

However, Mr. DeVent has not mentioned whether this new plan by Bermuda Homes for People is going to replace the old plan or if both plans will be carried out.

The Bermuda Homes for People plan, which is a private venture, consists of building about 200 homes at Southside, 100 of which will be low income housing starting at $199,000. The rest will go for market value starting at $599,000.

?We will not accept not in my backyard syndrome because that is not the situation ? the situation is that we do not know what the plan is, it keeps changing, said Mrs. Roberts-Holshouser.

Ms Roberts-Holshouser added that the St. David?s community do not deny that housing is vital however, they just want to see a complete plan and know how many housing developments are going to birthed in St. David?s.

She said: ?Bermuda deserves better than a knee-jerk reaction.?

Bermuda Homes For People presented the plans for the cross-subsidy housing at Southside last week to about 80 members of the St. David?s community. According to Ms Roberts-Holshouser many members of the St. David?s community were unaware of the town hall meeting, despite her efforts to inform as many as possible by telephone.

The presentation was headed by Clifford Schorer, owner of the former Sonesta Beach Hotel. St. David?s resident Wendy Percy, who attended the meeting, told that her greatest concern is if the infrastructure of St. David?s can handle the influx of about 2,000 more people.

She said the population of St. David?s is about 3,000 now but with the additional 196 homes, it will put about 2,000 more people in the area, almost a two third increase, she added.

The private housing venture is to aid in Bermuda?s dire need for housing, which is not disputed by Ms Percy, however, her concerns lie with smaller issues that she feels the developers may have overlooked. Ms Percy said: ?She is concerned that the new development will increase traffic, and cause difficulties with public transport, schools, and policing.

She said: ?I saw (Housing Minister) Ashfield DeVent?s point on everyone is responsible ? I do not have the ?not in my backyard? philosophy.?

Another concern of hers is that the chosen site to construct the development, presently has warehouses on it that may contain asbestos. She asked: ?Where is the asbestos going to go? Is it going to be put in another part of St. David?s??

She added: ?I am happy with the development and am not opposed to getting people into homes but I think 200 houses is too much ? it needs to be more spread out.?

The Planning Department received the planning application for the Bermuda Homes for People development on Monday. Another St. David?s resident who did not wish to be named, said: ?I am not too happy about it. People need houses but they need to have a master plan of St. David?s.?

She suggested that the many derelict homes on the Island be made suitable for living.

Her greatest concern if the Government and private housing developments are built in St. David?s is that there would be too many people there.

Long time resident Roxanne Lorenzen, was also concerned about the infrastructure of St. David?s and said that she does not see Government upgrading the infrastructure in order to house the extra people that the housing developments will bring.

She said that the residents of St. David?s are not saying that they do not want it in their backyard like Mr. DeVent suggested however, they just do not want as many homes as are planned.

?I told the minister that there is such a thing as quality of life,? she said. ?They have not thought this out in terms of numbers,? she said.

Mr. DeVent was not available for comment and no one from Bermuda Homes for People were reached by press time.