Gabby again demands beach for Bajans
By George Alleyne
For an island of 166 square
miles with a population
hovering on 385,000, a prime
destination for tourists who
crave its pristine beaches,
mostly placid blue sea, and
vibrant night life Barbados has
the makings for contests for
land space among residents
and tourism investors.
It therefore came as no
surprise last week when
arguments that were at times
rowdy erupted pitting residents
against investors over $25
million plans to construct a
10-storey hotel in the south
coast area of Worthing, Christ
Church, on the inland side of
a road running parallel to the
beach and a restaurant on the
seaside of that road.
At a town hall meeting
hosted by the developers
as part of a town planning
requirement for consultation
with residents before certain
construction projects are
approved, Barbadians’ protests
fell into two categories which
overlap. There were those
objecting because the proposed
10-storey edifice would replace
a four-storey hotel and block
the view to the sea from their
residence in the area; and those
who objected to placement
of the restaurant as it would
reduce locals’ access to the
beach and sea.
Caribbean L 22 ife, Aug. 2–8, 2019 BQ
Resistance based on
the proposed height of the
hotel not only touches on
sea view obstruction for
nearby residents, but also on
interference with the skyline
in a country with few tall
buildings.
Currently there is only one
10-storey hotel, and that is
topped only by the island’s
Central Bank building of 11
floors.
Barbadians see the absence of
an abundance of tall buildings
as an important feature of
the island’s attractiveness
for tourists who want to get
away from the concrete jungle
atmosphere of the metropolis.
The objectors demanding
that a wide window to the
sea be retained in the area
are continuing a fight which
reaches back to matters that
came to a head in almost 40
years ago when a corporate
lawyer for the tourism board,
jack Dear, offered a legal
opinion that hotels could
encroach on the beach to the
high water mark.
That pronouncement along
with the mushrooming hotels
on the island’s platinum west
coast leaving only alleyways
between buildings for residents’
access to the sea caused popular
calypsonian, Mighty Gabby, in
to pen and release in 1982
the song ‘Jack’ that gained
Caribbean-wide popularity as
an anthem for those concerned
about tourism’s hold and
control of these territories.
In spite of Gabby’s everpopular
‘Jack’ Barbados’
West Coast, the second home
of many of the world’s rich
and famous, today has very
few spots that can be termed
windows to the sea.
Those objecting to
construction Blue Horizon’s
seaside restaurant on Accra
Beach are contending its
presence will close one of the
few surviving windows to the
sea on the south coast.
It was then a fitting
confluence of history that
the Mighty Gabby was among
those attending the town hall
meeting and emerging again
as the leading voice in protest.
“I am saying to you that
we, the people of Barbados,
will not allow you – I say to
you, collectively you – to put
that restaurant on that beach
. . . That cannot happen . . .
It will not happen,” said the
now 71-year-old, who is still an
active performer on stages in
Barbados and other Caribbean
territories.
Gabby in one of his more serene moments.
Photo by George Alleyne
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