AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Environment Development of a new barge dock?

Darrin, the 'proposed landing' will be in your direct view. Plus, being down wind you will get the lovely noises at 3:00am and the beautiful barge aromas.

hmm, Now lets see. Stinky barges,noise at 3:00 am and blocked views in Paradise OR Corruption back home(?). That could be a tough choice. Glad it's not mine.

well that sucks. on the bright side, maybe it will be easier to git stuff.

fish

Dear Members,



Below are a couple of updates on the dredging for a barge dock across from Hol Chan:



Ambergris Today Newspaper Article



More Concerns Arise of New Barge Sight

More concerns have risen from the Town Council's decision to move the barge docking facilities further south. Strong opinions are now being expressed about the damage to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, both from the dredging as well as the increase in barge traffic to the area that lies almost immediately in front of the marine reserve.

Concerns are that as the boats move or turn the barges there is a large amount of silt generated especially during low tide. Any silt created during the time that the tide is going out would be drawn right through the Hol Chan channel.

Some discussion has expressed the short-sightedness of just moving the barge problem further down the island and now just affecting a new group of people. There are resorts and private homes all along that area, and everyone knows that the front of the island is rapidly developing beyond a commercial barge enterprise. This would have been an excellent time to make use of the three million dollar port that was built years ago.

Unfortunately at the time the port was built, smaller barges were being used, and the companies insist that it cannot serve the purpose for which it was intended without more docking space and dredging. Hopefully these barges will be moved to the marina at the back of the island some day.



Extract from the South Ambergris Neighborhood Watch Meeting:



There has been dredging far to the south across from the Hol Chan cut that is presumed to be for the Caribbean Depot barge landing. Josh stated that Major Jones, head of the Port Authority, sent someone two days before this meeting to investigate these issues of barge problems in the south. Apparently they had no idea of what was happening. However, ONLY the Port Authority has the authority to move barges.

Another issue of the barge traffic hours involves noise ordinances in residential and resort areas.

Suggestions were:

A petition with all signatures from South End people, Chamber member, other NW members, etc.

Letter to Town Board expressing SENW concerns sptb@btl.net

Letter to ALL newspapers including mainland expressing concerns for tourism

ambertoday@btl.net & spsun@sanpedrosun.net

Letter to Forestry Department

Letter to Ministry of Natural Resources regarding dredging

"There has been dredging far to the south across from the Hol Chan cut that is presumed to be for the Caribbean Depot barge landing."

I don't believe they have started to dredge yet, but they would have to in the future.

I am at a loss as to the short sightedness of the Town Board to allow this barge location to be permitted. Are the Eiley's paying the Mayor off? There has to be some explanation as to why Eiley's are spending this amount of money on a temporary facility instead of paying to upgrade the new municipal barge location.

The Hol Chan board seem remarkably quiet on this issue. They're hardly underfunded these days, judging from what I pay them each month - don't they care?

I am no enviromentalist but again I can not believe that the international conservationalists are not getting involved due to the possible destruction of the reef.
Somebody is getting paid off.

Are there any business ties between the town board and barge companies?

DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!