~ Rainforest Adventures permit signed ~
PHILIPSBURG--The government reportedly is finalising arrangements to purchase fifty per cent or more of Emilio Wilson Estate (EWE).
According to reliable information reaching The Daily Herald, Minister in charge of Infrastructure Theo Heyliger has signed the construction permit for Rainforest Adventures to construct its latest property in the Caribbean at EWE.
Heyliger had stated earlier this year that government was in discussion with the owners of EWE to purchase 50 per cent of the property and the owners had indicated a willingness to sell the parcel in question.
No details were available about the signing of the permit or about the pending purchase by government and inquiries went unanswered over the weekend. However, this newspaper understands that the permit has not yet been issued to the developer.
Member of Parliament Frans Richardson had said recently that government must be fair to the EWE property owner and finally find a solution for the property.
The estate has been accorded "monument status" by the government and, according to Rainforest Adventures, the proposed recreational park will combine historical significance, environmental awareness and sustainability.
The developer also has explained that the park, for which a request for permits was submitted to VROM [a department of the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI, ed.] on July 18, 2011, and for which financing and construction drawings are ready, will double as a conservation zone, with its infrastructure affecting only 3.6 per cent of the entire 436,237-square-metre EWE property.
"The goal is to simultaneously showcase the estate's rich eco-system, culture and heritage in consultation with the island's nature, archaeological and historical experts. Part adventure attraction, part plant, animal and bird sanctuary, Rainforest Adventures will provide St. Maarten with a minimal-impact tourism site," the company's PR firm had stated in a press release earlier this year.
"Delicate construction methods and best practices will be implemented to preserve protected areas. For example, many of the materials will be delivered via helicopter to avoid damaging trees and the forest floor and no buildings will be built above the 200-metre line of Sentry Hill, home to precious flora, fauna and wildlife, and stunning natural rock formations.
"Only low-profile aerial attractions will grace the top of the mountain, with minimal pathways and an observation deck, allowing visitors the most amazing view on the island. The unique existing flora and rock formations will be protected during construction and showcased with descriptive interpretation during operation," the PR firm had also explained.
With eco-adventure parks in Costa Rica, Dominica, Jamaica and St. Lucia, and four in their planning/construction phases for Panama, Rio de Janeiro, Alaska and St. Maarten, Rainforest Adventures was described as the "only organisation of its kind with the strongest and most geographically-diversified track record in the Americas, dedicated to preserving native eco-systems."
It was explained that governments of these countries had endorsed the concept.
The developer contends that the US $8-million project should create some 60 jobs, once the construction is completed.
Groups such as Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation (EWEF) and St. Maarten Pride Foundation have been objecting strongly to the proposed project.
In a January 2012 interview with The Daily Herald, EWEF urged government "to pursue all possible legal and financial means necessary" to realise its commitment to the St. Maarten people to secure the estate as the country's first land-based protected area and national park.
The plans, EWEF contended, are in violation of the hillside policy, which states that no building should occur on hilltops, ridges, and above the 200-metre altitude line.
Stating that Government had made commitments to the people to protect the entire estate, which is now an officially-recognised national monument, the foundation said it had been "surprised" earlier this year to have been informed that Heyliger supported the proposed project.
"It would set an unwanted precedent if government were to even consider supporting the proposal," EWEF had said at the time.
In addition to repeatedly petitioning government to protect and even purchase the estate, EWEF hired consultants to compile a business plan for the "Emilio Wilson Estate Ecological and Historical Centre" and has applied for financing from a number of Dutch and international funding agencies over the past six years, to purchase the estate.
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