http://www.bonairereporter.com/news/015pdfs/newcurrent.pdf
From recently published
plans it looks like development
of the Sunset Beach property
will be done in a way that
will provide jobs and business
opportunities for Bonaireans --
without erecting a new large
hotel. A proposal made in 2010
by the Playa Publico Action Group
suggested the property could be
used for :
1. A water sports facility owned
by locals. People could rent chairs,
umbrellas, snorkel and windsurf
gear, paddle boats, take snorkel or
windsurf lessons, etc.
2. A local Snek like Maiky’s or
Antriol Catering, selling food, ice
cream, pastechis, drinks, etc..
3. Art Gallery
4. A boardwalk so even the elderly
and handicapped can enjoy the
beach and the sea
5. A kresh and a playground
where people can leave their children
to play near the sea
6. A protected swimming area
and life guards for the entire beach
7. A boat ramp for small boats
8. A beach volleyball and games
area
The drawings indicate places for
these activities. The 12 acre property
has been divided into three
parcels. The project scale is small
so development should be affordable
to local entrepreneurs.
Last week’s press release was
to provide clarity about planned
near-term developments at the
location, some of which are already
underway. Loads of sand are
piled along the shore and automobile
access has been limited. People
are continuing to use the area
during this activity. The intention
is to maintain free access to the
beach for local people while allowing
sustainable development of the
area which is one of Bonaire’s
prime seaside locations.
Business for Bonaireans
“It would be really positive if the
area could be developed so that
Bonaireans could afford to open
businesses there to serve the locals
and tourists who would come to a
public beach as we did in the past,”
said Sherwin Pourier, manager of a
local bank.
From an economic point of view,
Pourier continued, “such a smallbusiness-
oriented development
would provide far more opportunity
for our people than another
hotel where many of the best of
any new jobs would go to foreigners.”
“Of course building a new hotel
would create construction jobs,”
said Sidney Manuel, a local contractor
and president of AKIB.
“But would that contract go to a
Bonairean company? I doubt it.
And with the current tight market
for construction labor, where
would the workers come from? If
the area was developed for small
businesses there is a much greater
chance that the work would go to
local people and we would not
have to import more workers.”
“I truly hope that the Sunset
Beach area will be developed in a
way that benefits our local entrepreneurs
and workers rather than
some foreign company,” added
Pourier.
A 2010 survey among both residents
and visitors showed overwhelming
support for preserving
the beach as a public amenity.
More than 88% of all respondents
and 80% of all Antilleans chose
preservation of the beach as opposed
to a large hotel or luxury
housing. It’s taken five years for
this message to sink in… and just
prior to the perhaps the most critical
local elections in the island’s
history.
One resident commented in the
survey, “Most of the money earned
by large hotels on Caribbean islands
goes to foreigners. Combine
that with the fact that they pay very
little in taxes and pay below minimum
salaries to the majority of
their employees and the result is
that big hotels do not contribute
substantially to the financial health
or to the prosperity of the islands.”
Environmental Relief
Sorobon beach is an area that is
fragile and receives more people
than it can sustain during cruise
season. This causes permanent
damage to our environment and, at
the same time, damages the place
for our own people. If we can develop
Sunset as a public beach we
can provide a location for many
people to enjoy and, at the same
time, reduce the pressure on other
sites and protect our island.”
During cruise season, the pressure
on the beaches at Sorobon is
intense. A well-planned and managed
beach at the Sunset site would
reduce this threat to the sea grass
beds and mangroves.”
Following storm damage, bankruptcy
and a fire the large area
west of the traffic circle has been
vacant, but still used by donkeys,
goats, dogs as well as people.
Since 2006 the Island Government
has been the owner of the land. In
the past, attempts have been made
to develop the entire area, notably
a failed scheme by Divi Resorts. In
2013, the government launched a
public process to select feasible
projects.
Until the full project is finalized
there is an agreement with Coco's
Beach Management to improve the
public space and the beach and
make it usable in the short term.
This company will invest in the
improvement and in return receives
the right to benefit from the beach
in order to recoup the investment.
We will continue to report on this
as it develops.
Jane Townsend/
G..D.
