This proposed resort will be located on Harvest Caye, about 2 miles south of the southern tip of the Placencia Peninsula.  The planned resort includes:

• Private airstrip (to be constructed on fill)
• 11.27 acres of private residential development on the smaller end of Harvest Caye, including:
  • Apartments:  Seven 3-story buildings - 14 one bedroom apartments, 28 2-bedroom apartments and 14 3-bedroom apartments - total of 122 rooms in 56 apartments
  • Beach villas to be constructed on stilts (6 feet in height) (10 one-bedrooms, 5 2-bedrooms - 20 rooms in 15 buildings) 
  • Over-the-water villas (not clear how many on Little Harvest)
• 10 acres of hotel rooms, over-the-water villas, conference center and utility areas on the main Harvest Caye area
• Spa
• 3 restaurants (one on a pier, one on the beach and one in an open area)
• Marina
• 4 piers
• Retail (shopping) center
• 2 beach areas

Below is a rendering of what the developer says the hotel will look like:

The resort is obviously planned as a self-contained enclave resort, with little, if any, positive economic impact on Placencia and Mango Creek/Independence Village communities.  (The EIA itself states that "The social infrastructure of the area will be impacted even though for the most part the proposed development will be self-contained to address the needs of its residents, visitors and workers." p. 2-59 of EIA.)

Further, only 76 jobs will be created for a resort with a guest capacity of approximately 700 people (about the population of Placencia Village), but bringing with them twice the garbage, twice the sewage, twice the water usage -- twice the impact on the environment.

In addition, the area where the airstrip will be constructed is the prime area for manatees now that the Placencia Lagoon has become degraded, AND the resort will destroy most of the littoral forest on the island.

PCSD and local residents are not opposed to the development of Harvest Caye.  However, as acknowledged by the EIA, local residents interviewed by the developer are opposed to the size of this development and want the development to follow the guidelines for cayes development issued by the Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority, which would limit the development on Harvest Caye to a maximum size of 10 acres, a maximum guest capacity of 18, and NO dredging permitted.  (See page 2-62 of the EIA.)

We are also opposed to DOE continually allowing developers and their EIA consultants to cut Placencia Village out of the EIA process.  As with Ara Macao and False Caye, the Harvest Caye developer attempted to negate the effect of the development on Placencia Village. 

The Harvest Caye EIA defines the "Zone of Influence" as only Big Creek and Mango Creek/Independence, even though all of these areas share with Placencia Village the same water and electric supplies, as does Seine Bight Village.

Further, Placencia Village is only approximately 2/10's of a mile further away from Harvest Caye than Big Creek, yet the first page of the EIA describes the location of the proposed development in terms of number of miles from Belize City, Dangriga, Big Creek and Monkey River, only casually mentioning later that the caye is also close to Placencia village, "a popular tourism destination." 

The developer should be required to amend the EIA to assess effects of the development on Placencia, particularly the cumulative effect of the development in relation to all other developments approved by DOE, with or without benefit of an EIA.

Further, if public input and information is really important to DOE and the National Environmental Advisory Committee, a second pubilc consultation would have been required because the first one intentionally excluded Placencia through its location and time - a location and time that the developer knew or should have known would make it impossible for Placencia residents to attend.

EIA consultant, Pepe Garcia, principal of Tunich Nah Consultants and Engineering.

Status:  Approved by DOE and NEAC.  Environmental Compliance Plan forwarded to the developer but not yet signed.