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Ritz-Carlton announces exclusive resort project in Aruba {Gadling}
Apr 13th 2010 12:14PM Check out this clip. This is what happens when that area floods. Take a good look!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufCvAj7JeHU
Ritz-Carlton announces exclusive resort project in Aruba {Gadling}
Apr 11th 2010 5:38PM These are merely a few reasons why we are PRO Fishermen's Huts, feel free to send us your reasons to have them included ...
What they are trying to do:
* the previous government handed over 45,000 square metres of land to allegedly build a 320-room Ritz Carlton (although the original request was for a mix-use, read timeshare, resort)
* the agreement includes the re-routing of the current road to Malmok in an lazy curve through the Salinja near the Boardwalk in order to accommodate the hotel and its parking lot.
* as part of said agreement, the developer (read Ritz) will also have the right to "beautify" the current fishermen's huts area where the huts are, where the fishermen have their boats and the windsurfers and Kitesurfers practice their sport (we all know what happened to Hadicurari)
* They also make reference to a previously sumbitted "wind tunnel study" by CPP Inc in 2005 for Bazarian Int'l, this was to asses pedestrian wind comfort and clearly states that the building will affect the first 300 meters off shore for recreational sailing, causing inconsistent wind conditions. They based the assumption on the fact that most experience recreational sailors (wind/kite surfers) will move out beyond 300 meters of the coastline anyway ...
* as part of the plans the developer will also be reclaiming/expanding the beach area - so creating additional beach where now there is sea ...
* seemingly they have changed their building plans numerous times at DOW.
Why we should NOT AGREE:
From an ENVIRONMENTAL perspective:
Desarrollos Hotelco (the developer) submitted an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) which consisted of only a reference to an existing Executive Summary, which was originally prepared by Edminsten & Associates and submitted by the previous developer, Bazarian Int'l Financial Assoc. in 2005 (4 years old!!). This is unacceptable given the superficial analysis, outdated numbers, and biased assumptions. Their Wind Tunnel Study was merely a reference to an existing Executive Summary by CPP Inc that was submitted by the previous developer, Bazarian Int'l Financial Assoc. in 2005 and based on Bazarian's architectural designs NOT on the current ones. Desarrollos Hotelco to date never submitted a complete and independent EIA or Wind Tunnel Study.
- Fishermen's Huts (FH) is the only place in Aruba where the endangered loggerhead sea turtle returns yearly to lay her eggs.
- The native Aruban indians were fishermen and used to settle close to the sea, so all along the west coastline as well as in the nearby Salinja where the parkinglot is proposed, it is assumed that there are archaeological deposits.
- The Salinja and the vegetation at FH is home to many species, including migrating birds that have been returning year after year.
- There are many mangroves (endangered) and trees that have been there for many many years.
- Under the guise of "embellishment", the developer (Ritz) has on it's plans for construction the beautification and maintenance of the current windsurf/fishermen area by removing what there is and replacing it with something more "fitting" with their resort ... we all know very well what happened at Hadicurari .... so in reality it is yet another "indirect" extension of their property ...
- In the name of progress, Arubans are left with very few recreational public beaches to do non-motorized aquatic sports, as well as places to pic-nic or spend the day with the family. Although most of the hotel beaches are considered "public" this is seemingly not the case, as locals are requested to leave if they sit on most of the "hotel" beaches.
- Many tour companies include a stop at the local beaches as part of their tour ... will they need to start making schedules if all there's left are Boca Catalina and Arashi? (Note that Eagle Beach gets encroached daily by hotels with placement of Palapa's and F&B outlets for their guests)
The beaches:
- provide an important recreational resource for tourists and local residents;
- protect coastal lands from wave action, especially during hurricanes;
- provide fish landing sites and areas for beaches boats;
- are an esthetically pleasing part of the environment.
- are also one of the most dynamic and fast changing parts of the islands' landscape.
From a SOCIO-ECONOMIC perspective:
Desarrollos Hotelco submitted SEIA (Social Economic Impact Assessment) consisted of only a reference to an existing Executive Summary, which was originally prepared by KPMG and submitted by the previous developer, Bazarian Int'l Financial Assoc. in 2005. This is unacceptable. Desarrollos Hotelco to date never submitted a complete and independent SEIA.
Building of a hotel at the Fisherman's Huts will have detrimental effects for the island and its population since the disadvantages by far outweigh the advantages:
Each additional hotel room built will require at least 4 additional workers, which will result in an addition of 1,280 people. Furthermore, no provisions have been made to develop a high quality and productive labor market. Most of these jobs require low skilled and low salary workers, a job market which has already been over developed if one looks at the amount of permit dependent foreigners that work there - so this will NOT help the unemployed, but rather create a shift/cannibalization of employment from other existing resorts who in turn will need to hire new people/foreigners to do the work ...
1. Infrastructural Effects:
- more cars
- more traffic
- more pollution
- congestion, crowding and displacement. (read accidents)
- architecturally, the new non-green design, and the relocation of the road through local wetlands, will cause a decline in environmental health.
- more waste
- more water usage
- more electrical usage
2. Business-Economic Effects:
- expanding the current room inventory will cause a negative spiral effect in terms of more rooms, lower occupancy rates in the industry and subsequent decline in industry rates and revenues.
- in terms of product planning and market development, there is a current void in positioning Aruba as an exclusive destination.
3. Social Effects:
- more permit dependent low skilled foreign workers
- increased low income population
- less income tax monies
- increased need for low cost housing
- bigger strain on already maxed out social services (doctor, hospital, azv, etc.)
- higher patient to doctor ratio - so longer lines to go to the doctor
- longer waits at the hospital or doctor na warda
- more people using AZV while contributing the minimum, so a higher cost overall
- even bigger classrooms (currently at almost 30 kids per classroom)
- possible increase in crime
What INDEPENDENT STUDIES say:
All independent studies and advices support the view that the construction of additional hotels is undesirable and irresponsible as the island has surpassed its carrying capacity and is now experiencing the costs of diminishing economic returns, social stress, and environmental destruction, with irreversible effects on the quality of experience for visitors and the quality of life of residents.
1. Chamber of Commerce & Industry - "Vision pa Gobernacion 2009-2013" dated May 2009
2. Wild Aruba
3. Nos Aruba 2025 - read full report
4. Sam Cole
5. University of Aruba, Strategic Tourism Action Plan 2007
6. University of Aruba, Nos Turismo di Manjan, Community analysis, 2009
7. University of Aruba, Tourism Intelligence Briefing, 2008
So if you haven't yet, take the time to sign the online petition at:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/noritz/ (no need to donate, just leave the page)
Become a member of the page and share this note - spread the word!
