Most of the north side of Belize City as we know it today is built upon reclaimed land, and in fact the fits and starts in which the low-lying city has expanded have largely been dictated by the ambition and vision of developers who aren't afraid to reclaim a few hundred acres of sea. So, if the city has such a history of reclamation, why is a new project in the University Heights area attracting such attention and scrutiny. It reclaims only a small area of the seabed but the big money development is causing a big stir. We found out why.
Jules VasquezReporting,
Today it's just an unfinished project, hundreds of truckloads of sand flattened by a bulldozer. But in two years, this area you see here will be the Bayview Grand Development, a resort style seafront condominium with 24 units for sale, spread out across four buildings. It's a $5 million development, and the man supervising the project is Jose Tun; he says it will be an impressive addition to the upscale University Heights Community.
Jose Tun,
"This undeveloped area that we are developing is going to be a housing project, an upscale housing project for this area so for this area the property values around here will go up."
But is there an inverse proportionality between those vaunted property values and the environmental integrity of the coast; that is, does one appreciate as the other depreciates? The property measures 150 by 280 feet, 42,000 square feet, just under an acre, and much of it is built over the a spot of mangrove, and the sea. Now as the point juts out beyond the coastline, and as these few tufts of mangrove show, what was sea is now land.
Jules Vasquez,
Now how much of this is fill over mangrove and sea?
Jose Tun,
"I couldn't give you a full estimate on that. I believe that the mangrove that was here was a little over 100 feet. I am not sure. I really couldn't give you a correct figure."
Jules Vasquez,
The conventional wisdom is that once mangrove is removed, erosion is inevitable. Have you all, in removing this mangrove, in filling over the mangrove, have you irreparably damaged the environment in this area?
Jose Tun,
"Well in this area, the mangrove like I told you, its hard to tell how much mangrove we actually went over but I can tell you if you make reference to the area on the right, its much less than that."
Jules Vasquez,
But are you all confident that in fact it will not have a deleterious or a corrosive effect on coastal environment in this area?
Jose Tun,
"Well from what we are filling here, its one portion of land. We are going to do a sea wall and that should replace what was actually the natural barrier and be the new protection, I guess. We will of course take as many measures as possible to protect both the project and surrounding area."
Those measures are basically a seawall, with the required 20 feet of public sea frontage. It's something, but not what the Department of Environment recommends which is that no properties be given out on mangrove swamps which are on the coast. In fact, those we spoke to at the DOE say that neither this project, nor the mansions beside it, have gotten environmental clearance. But while that is our unofficial information, Tun flatly disputes it.
Jules Vasquez,
Did it receive environmental clearance from the DOE?
Jose Tun,
"As far as I can tell you, yes. I am just out here to do the project itself. The company would not have moved if we did not have the proper clearance."
And while the environmental issue may be unsettled, Tun says he's sure this project is the right one at the right time.
Jose Tun,
"This project will be something high scaled and so it will be good for this area. Everything has its good and its bad and hopefully the good of this project will outweigh the bad that some people may view."
And apart from environmental technicians, those that may have some bad to say are those directly in front - who used to have a seafront property.
Jose Tun,
"As far as the people in front of here, I really can't speak for them. I don't know what their position is. I know there was one gentleman who had intended to build out here but he never got the proper documentation to continue with it. As far as everybody else is concerned, we have not heard anything. I think a lot of people around this neighborhood view it as something good because its actually driving up their property value."
But whether they welcome it or not, it's here, and an example of the kind of brave new developments that w ill inevitably become more popular and prevalent in a population center where existing seafront properties are in scarce supply.
The developers have hired 40 independent truck contractors who have dumped over one thousand loads of sand. This year, the Department of the Environment adopted a new policy for sea front developments insisting that they must have a waste water treatment system, not just a standard sewage collection system. And as we noted in the story, the DOE frowns on any land title that is given for properties which include a mangrove swamps, especially if those properties are at the seafront. It's of note, because we understand that the mangrove rich property beside this one has already been sold and that is also planned for a reclamation-type development.
