Recent input into the Department of Planning has raised new questions about Southlands’ suitability for Bermuda’s South Shore.

In a report to Government planners the Advisory Architectural Panel says it can not support the Southlands proposal as currently presented.

The Panel said: “Given the scale of the proposed development technical officers continue to consider a full scale environmental impact statement is required for this application.”

Members of the advisory group seemed particularly concerned about the amount of construction proposed on the foreshore.

Developers have requested a special development order (SDO) from the Minister of Environment Neletha Butterfield which, if granted, would speed track construction and forgo any comprehensive environmental review. The Advisory Architectural Panel is a collection of architects — a statutory body established in the Development and Planning Act. Its members are appointed by the Minister of Environment, however, the Act does not say Minister Butterfield is required to take the Panel’s advice.

This new input is remarkably similar to a report from the Government’s Department of Conservation revealed in The Royal Gazette in March.

Civil servant reviewers said: “... lacking the benefit of a thorough environmental impact assessment aimed at prompting informed decision making, the Department of Conservation Services is duty bound to object to the proposed development.”

However in that case as well, the Minister’s omnipotent power to grant SDOs would seem to pave the way for her to ignore the advice she’s getting if the project in question is deemed of national importance.

Southlands developer Craig Christensen said last night that the property’s foreshore construction was carefully thought out with attention paid to environmental aspects.

“The southern side of the property is the area to which there is very little current environmental impact. Hence we front loaded the property to the southern side for aesthetic reasons and environmental reasons. As you head back up the hill, that’s the area we at Southlands wish to preserve. The project was deliberately front loaded nearest to the South Shore.”

Mr. Christensen also fought back criticism over environmental impact studies. According to him, the Southlands application is filled with relevant studies that deal with wind, traffic, topography, water runoff, horticulture and water conservation.

Environmentalist Stuart Hayward has advocated the need for an independent environmental impact assessment from practically the first day he saw the plans.

Last night he said: “Virtually every advisory body with expertise crucial to the decision has advised against issuance of an SDO, particularly the Draft SDO made public by the Minister, which we now discover was drafted by the developers.

The public will now need to ramp up its signals to our leaders. Send letters via e-mail directly to Premier Ewart Brown and Environment Minister Butterfield. Let them know directly that this is too big and complex a proposal to be rushed through, or flown in the face of the best advice the experts have to offer.”

However any move towards a comprehensive environmental study now would almost certainly derail plans for a late 2008 open date, which is what was announced at a Premier Brown-led press conference in January. In fact the previously trumpeted timeframe is probably already in jeopardy.

Mr. Hayward, chairman of Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce, said: “If an environmental impact assessment had been undertaken when first suggested, it could have been completed by now. Proponents may hype their artificial pressures in attempts to shortcut or short circuit the process. But this is the equivalent of major surgery and requires careful and thorough thought.”

Meantime, there are also new questions about traffic safety along south shore if the Southlands project is green lighted.

The Ministry of Works and Engineering seemed particularly concerned with a proposed tunnel that would put part of south road underground.

“The tunnels represent a number of issues. There will be a height restriction for the first time on South Road. A serious accident will cause severe access problems. The tunnels will cross a public highway, what are the legalities of ownership and maintenance? It is our opinion that the tunnels will also spoil the natural beauty of Bermuda’s scenic coastal road.”

Mr. Christensen answered the concerns. He said: “If anything unforeseen like two tractors closing off a three lane highway there are two options to get traffic around the overpass by going through the Southlands property in the event of an emergency.”

Southlands developers have previously stated the road project had the blessing of Works and Engineering, so it’s not clear if that support has changed or if the Ministry is merely looking for clarifications.

In all Government engineers raise nine traffic related “issues”.

The Gazette has not seen the actual reports from Works and Engineering and the advisory panel, but the findings of the report were summarised in a letter from Planning officials to the Southlands architect. A copy of that letter was found in the Southlands Planning application file, available for public inspection. The Marine Resources Board also has a say in the matter, but decided at a February meeting it could not comment because its people could not “fully understand the complications of the drawings presented”. They invited the developers to make an in-person presentation.

The Southlands application is a tremendously complex proposal of condominiums, staff housing and a sprawling cliff side resort on Warwick’s south shore. It would be a five-star luxury hotel like none other currently in Bermuda operated by Jumeirah, a high-end internationally renown hotel company.

Architects criticise Southlands scheme