VOLUME 13 ISSUE 35

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VOLUME 13 - NO. 35

SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2017 – SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2017

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RITZ CARLTON WILL BENEFIT TCI Environmental Impact Study sees no serious threats

by Hayden Boyce Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

T

he development of the 12-storey Ritz Carlton hotel in Grace Bay would provide benefits to neighbouring developments and businesses in the form of increased mixture of jobs, retail stores, restaurants casino, entertainment amenities, public outdoors spaces and increased economic activities to offset possible negative impacts. This was one of the main findings of the just-released Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which was prepared by Caribbean Environmental Design Associates (CEDA) and Applied Technology and Management (ATM). “The proposed high-rise buildings would not significantly impact the existing pedestrian friendly environment along the Grace Bay Tourist Strip in fact the added amenities would enhance the environment,” the document stated, noting that the aesthetic quality of the Grace Bay area comprises a a mixture of imported Caribbean and North American architecture characters, none unique to Providenciales or the Turks and Caicos Islands. “The proposed 12 – storey Ritz Carlton Resort & Residences development will replace the Seven Stars as the most aesthetically dominant high-rise structures on Grace Bay and would significantly impact the aesthetic quality of the area,” it was stated. The existing Seven Stars development at 7- storeys or 90 feet high are the tallest buildings in the Turks and Caicos. However, the proposed Ritz Carlton Resort & Residences will be constructed at 12 – storeys or 150 feet high and will replace the Seven Stars buildings as the tallest buildings in the Turks and Caicos. The EIS was submitted in accordance with condition 25 of the Outline Development Permission PR. 12462 for the Ritz Carton Hotel Development, granted on August 15,

F

Ribbon cutting ceremony for FortisTCI’s multipurpose Building

ortisTCI has officially opened a new multipurpose building that brings its engineering and operational functions under one roof at its Leeward Highway headquarters. The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony took

2016. Comments on the document can be sent to the Department of Planning at planningconsultation@gov.tc or to the Department of Planning, Emily House, Leeward Highway, and Providenciales or at South Base, Grand Turk. A public consultation meeting will be held on Thursday, October 12, 2017 at the Gustavus Lightbourne Auditorium, Providenciales at 5:30 p.m., the general public and all other stakeholders are urged to attend. According to the 260-page document, the construction of the proposed high-rise resort hotel brings

place on Wednesday, August 30th, and was attended by representatives of FortisTCI’s parent company, Fortis Inc., with President and CEO Barry Perry brining greetings on behalf of the company. Pictured here are Fortis

TCI, Fortis Inc officials, Rev. Frednor Toussaint, Methodist Church, Fortis TCI President and CEO Eddinton Powell and President and CEO Barry Perry during the ribbon cutting ceremony.

with it a number of challenges and opportunities for management and the community. “Among the challenges are potential weather delays; the availability of adequate numbers of skilled and unskilled workers; safety of construction workers and time constraints. Potential opportunities may include – increased revenues to government; generation of significant employment opportunities, both during the construction and operation of phases of the development and the provision of training for Turks and Caicos Islanders in specialized construction areas,” it

was stated. The study noted that very few wildlife species were observed in the developed areas, adding that this community was given “an extremely low rating for its environmental value and quality”. No bird nests or other evidence of significant wildlife value was observed. Approximately 25% of the property consisted of a sand strand and beach dune community. A wide un-vegetated beach averaging approximately 75 feet in width above the mean high water line extends in a shore-parallel orientation along the entire 635 foot frontage on Grace Bay. Continued on Page 2

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