A new beach resort and marina, the first of its kind in the Federation, is being prepared for construction at the base of scenic Hurricane Hill near Lovers Beach.
The Sea Haven Beach Resort and Marina will be located on 45 acres on the northwestern part of Nevis, said a spokesman for the major project. It will include a 120-room, five-star hotel that will be well placed between the inland marina and the beach.
The resort will be operated by a well-known branded resort chain and will be comparable to the Four Seasons,’ said the spokesman.
In describing the project, the spokesman said 10 acres behind the beach will be excavated for an ‘upscale marina and 140 boat slips.’
No plans have been made to build an on-site major boat repair facility, leaving this open to local entrepreneurs to open a boat repair and storage business on the island.
The decision was made to build the entrance to the marina at the base of 250-foot Hurricane Hill to minimize any disruption on the popular Lovers Beach.
Said the spokesman, ‘The entrance is protected by a revetment that mimics the shape of the hill in order to minimize the impact on the movement of sand along the shore.
‘No yachts will be permitted to anchor off the beach. All such craft will be located within the inland marina behind the beach and out of the way of any flight path.’ The spokesman said the marina will be designed to help properly circulate the water in order to prevent stagnation within the marina basin.
About 120 townehouses will be built next to the marina. Another 15 luxury villas are also planned on the marina’s western end. These are individual villas rather than townhouses. Another 15 luxury villas will be built during the second phase of construction.
Marina Village will be a shopping center and sporting facility. This will consist of 50,000 square feet of commercial space for shops, supermarket, spa and fitness center, conference facilities, restaurants, bank and post office. All the facilities will be easily accessible from the island main road and from the marina and resort to cater to visitors and local residents.
A maintenance area will be located on the other side of the main road to house sewage treatment, de-salinisation, maintenance, nursery and staff.
The proposal includes making the marina a port of entry complete with customs and immigration. The proposal includes a helicopter landing pad and facilities for a coastguard vessel that would be used for any search and rescue operations.
A Marine Conservation Unit to protect wildlife, including sea turtles, will also be built. Hawksbill turtles and leatherbacks have been attacked by stray dogs and mongooses that dig up and destroy the nests. Surviving baby turtles are often attacked by land crabs, ants and birds as they make their way to the sea.
The spokesman said, ‘Our project recognizes the turtles as a major tourism attraction. We are proposing to fund this Marine Conservation Unit at the resort and will place it under the direction of the Department of Fisheries.’
The unit would provide for nightly beach patrols to protect turtles while they are laying as well as to identify and monitor all the turtle nests, especially when turtle hatchlings emerge from the nest. Satellite monitoring systems will be made available to research the turtle movements.
The project will also expand the wet zone on the eastern side of the marina where a ghaut periodically flows in heavy rains and enters the sand dam at the beach before emptying into the sea. This could be developed into a ‘significant and productive wetland,’ said the spokesman.
The project concept was created by Design International of London, an architectural firm that submitted it to the government. After a technical review to see if the project would have any negative impact on the Newcastle airport, the consultants came to the conclusion there would be no negative impact and the proposed project was approved in principle, subject to detailed studies being carried out, including an Environmental Impact Assessment.
In May, Caribbean Drilling Contractors NV from Curacao completed a borehole drilling program. The spokesman said there are currently ‘no major physical barriers to the planned marina excavation or buillding construction.
A boundary and topographical survey at the project site was recently completed and will be used to prepare the detailed architectural and marine engineering designs.
Terms of reference for the environmental impact assessment are being drafted in order to modify any final designs to minimize any possible negative impacts. For more information, contact John Yearwood at Sea Haven Beach Resort and Marina Ltd., (869} 469 9829.
