At least two local environmental groups merged last night for a discussion centred on the controversial development plans at the 37-acre Southlands property in Warwick.

Media were kept out of the meeting of about 50 environmentalists at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.

Members of ECO and the Audubon Society were both present. Among those invited to offer input was former Government Director of Planning Rudolph Hollis.

When contacted before last night’s meeting the well regarded former planning official said: “I do have concerns about the Southlands project, but I’d rather not speak about it to the media at this time, at least until I’ve had a chance to talk to the parties concerned.”

Stuart Hayward, Environmentalist and chair of the environmental group ECO, hosted the event and offered brief comments afterwards. He said: “We don’t have the infrastructure capacity to handle all the development that is going on.

“There are a lot of issues that most people haven’t looked at. When we talk about the housing problem that we’re having, that housing problem is directly related to the influx of non-Bermudian workers.

“If you’re building a property that’s going to require a greater influx of non-Bermudian workers then you’re going to exacerbate the housing problem,” Mr. Hayward said.

The former appointee to the country’s Sustainable Development Roundtable also said: “There are a lot of little connected things that most people aren’t looking at. And that’s what I see is part of my job — to help people appreciate all of the issues, not just the idea that there may be more money coming in.”

Mr. Hayward said he had seen plans for the new resort, but did not specifically say he opposed the project.

No one emerging from the meeting last night seemed willing to make that kind of statement or to talk at length with a reporter.

A spokesperson from the Audubon Society indicated there may be a press release from her group in the future.

The Southlands project, from developer Southlands, Ltd., has garnered mixed reaction from the public.

Some, like Premier and Tourism Minister Ewart Brown, seem excited of the prospect of a high end hotel operator like Jumeirah coming to these shores.

Others, like the National Trust, have voiced concern over Southlands’ request for two special development orders which would allow developers to speed past some of the more traditional planning regulations.

The bold proposal before planning officials would put a large mostly glass hotel near the edge of a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and would transform part of South Road into an underground tunnel.