Homeowners: New Hospital Will Create Flooding Nightmare 

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – A flooding nightmare, that’s what the Grove West Homeowners Association says residents could face if the government pushes ahead with the new specialty hospital at Perpall Tract.

At a town hall meeting Monday night, the group repeated its grievances, but President Barbara Hepburn says it feels like no one is listening.

Barbara Hepburn – President, Grove West Homeowners Association

“It does not seem as if what we are saying is resonating with the government.”

The Grove West Association, which has nearly 300 members, has been calling for the hospital to be built somewhere else.

The plea is gaining fresh attention after severe flooding from Tropical Storm Imelda. Association President Barbara Hepburn admits contractors can design a flood-resilient facility but warns the impact will still be devastating for homeowners.

Barbara Hepburn – President, Grove West Homeowners Association

“We’re hoping now that it’s in the final stages and the Department of Physical Planning needs to, I guess, do the final sign off, we are hoping they will hear our voices and deny the hospital being placed in the well field, where, as I said, it will create a flooding nightmare among other things for the residents.”

Government has already secured funding from the China Exim Bank, nearly $300 million for a 200-bed facility.

Health and wellness officials defended the choice, saying the site was selected after a careful study. Environmental assessments were completed and the project has the green light.

But Hepburn insists their pleas are falling on deaf ears.

Barbara Hepburn – President, Grove West Homeowners Association

“We feel it’s not being taken into account, at least to this point, and we’re hoping somehow we can change or sway the decision of Town Planning or Physical Planning because they’ve had several meetings before which our residents attended, we voiced our concerns, but we were told in so many words it was a done deal.”

And flooding isn’t the only worry. Hepburn says noise pollution will also disrupt the White Grove community.

Resident and consultant Eric Carey is raising another question: were environmental conditions properly updated before the project was approved?

Eric Carey – President, One Consultant

“The hospital itself can be constructed without fears of flooding because it can raise the level of the land as high as it wants. The question is what does that do to the surrounding areas, and what that is going to do is it’s going to increase the flooding potential of nearby areas.”