The Yntegra Rosewood Development Facing Growing Local Opposition

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EXUMA, BAHAMAS – The Yintegra Group is preparing to break ground on a Rosewood property on Sampson Cay in Exuma, promising more jobs and a boost to the local economy.

With government and environmental approvals in hand, the project is moving forward, but not without controversy.

Kieran Miller, owner of Staniel Cay Adventures and member of the Save Exuma Alliance (S.E.A.), says the group is not against development but is concerned about the potential environmental impact.

“There’s a lot of effects that could be negative, quite frankly, from being dropped in the middle of nowhere. We are in the middle of nowhere, ya’ll look around,” Miller said during a media boat tour organized by S.E.A.

One major point of contention is the proposed service dock in North Bay. Miller questioned whether the risks are worth it.

“If you develop that bay and 10 years from now someone dies from the traffic there, was it worth it?” he asked.

He also suggested alternative options for transporting supplies to the island, rather than the planned large-scale development.

Tito Baldwin, a Bahamian boat captain and S.E.A. member, added concerns about the environmental consequences.

“They want to put a 400-foot wall, 40 feet wide, that’s going to block the natural flow of the channel. You change the flow, you change the current forever, and you’ll alter the beach, the economic value of the island, and everything,” Baldwin said.

While not opposed to the Rosewood project itself, residents and S.E.A. members say they would prefer a smaller, more environmentally conscious approach that balances development with preservation.