US Base lands at St. David's without input from St. David's residents seem to us to be entirely on course. It is important that the bases should become part of the community and should not go on being seen as enclaves on their own. We already have a divisive situation at Morgan's Point. Many Bermudians see the proposed development there, rightly or wrongly, as an area which will turn out to be "no go'' for Bermudians. That feeling must now be avoided at the East End.

There are a large number of people who believe they are being deprived of housing and are not being allowed to use houses which exist on the Base lands.

Yet no explanation is given nor are the concerns of people who are pressed for housing being addressed. There are probably very good reasons for not using the Base lands bit by bit, certainly until a development plan is complete, but it would seem to be politically smart to explain to the public what the situation is.

It is important that after years of closed bases Bermudians should now see the areas as part of Bermuda. To that end, using the Base's Corregidor Avenue as the St. David's road would be progress. Public use of Clearwater Beach was a good start. Taking down the American base entrance and guard house would also be an improvement. And, as soon as security allows, the fences must go. Using Marginal Wharf for gravel and sand shipments would stop long trucking on the narrow Mullet Bay Road and alleviate the hazardous spills which threaten visitors riding into St. George's on mopeds.

It is clearly important that St. David's residents have some say in what goes on in their area. Many people were unhappy when it was suggested that the Kindley lands should have a different name and that they would become a "new area''. Much of this land was taken away from St. David's Islanders to build the bases. Thus they have a real interest in its future.

We recognise that money has to be made from this land to replace the income Bermuda lost from the Americans when the bases closed. However there has to be some understanding by the Bermuda Land Development Company that money is not everything and there are space problems in Bermuda which lead to public frustration and some of these can be corrected if the Base lands are used cleverly. This is the last chance Bermuda has to get some of problems right and it would be a great shame to let the opportunity slip away. There are 415 acres of land, not all of it good land, and some of it should be used to the public benefit.