Clifton Cay Park Delayed:
By Vanessa C. Rolle -
Nassau, Bahamas:


The opening of the Clifton Heritage Park will be delayed because the chairman and the vice chairman of the Clifton Heritage Authority have submitted early resignations, according to Charles Maynard, Minister of State for Culture.

He said Chairman Sean McWeeney and Vice Chairman Kenred Dorsett resigned recently.

The first phase of the development was set to be completed this month, according to the minister.

New board members will be appointed to the Clifton Heritage Authority, he said.

"Some new board members will be appointed because the chairman and vice chairman resigned and their term would have been up at the end of the month in any event," Minister Maynard said.

"So as soon as those persons would be put in place they can move speedily ahead to finish the preparations for what they are doing."

In October, Mr. Mcweeney said the park would be fully accessible for guided tours by the fall of 2007.

Phase one of the project calls for the construction of two parking lots at either end of the property, a tram system, a boardwalk as well as restrooms.

Mr. McWeeney had said the project encountered many delays beginning with the exorbitant bids by contractors.

There were also new archaeological findings, and as a result, it was decided that the planned physical works would have to be slowed down to be absolutely certain that the limited development would not disturb the property’s subsurface, Mr. McWeeney said back in October.

There was also coastal rehabilitation and study of the soil, he said.

Minister Maynard said, "Originally, the first phase was supposed to be completed by July/August. I think that it may be put back a couple of weeks as a result of the early resignation of the former chairman and vice chairman, but definitely by the end of summer we should have the whole process finished."

During his contribution to the budget debate in the House of Assembly earlier this month, Minister Maynard said the first phase of Clifton Heritage Park would be completed by the end of this month.

He said that the development of the first phase of the park is a primary focus of his government, and that, "It’s a good thing I came in time to get it done because it was going to die in the Office of the Prime Minister."

The Journal contacted the authority’s former vice chairman, Mr. Dorsett, who noted that the resignations should have no bearing on the park’s opening.

"I don’t see any reason why our resignation should impact the delay that has arisen. I would assume that the minister has the ability to advance whatever plans he so chooses. He has the statutory authority to do so. I am certain that he would get the concurrence of the members of the authority," Mr. Dorsett said.

"But once again, I don’t know what is happening behind the scene as a result of my resignation and having demitted office. The resignation ought not to have any impact on the carrying out of work as the contracts were already executed and works were underway," he said.

He said his resignation was as a result of certain conventions – meaning that when one is a political appointee and there is a change in administration, convention has it that one must resign.

Resigning, he said, was not easy for him to do.

"I have mixed emotions about it. I am tied to the project emotionally…But as a matter of convention and proper protocol, I thought it was only fitting and proper for me to provide the new minister with my resignation," he said.

Mr. Dorsett said it is in the hands of the minister to determine whether he would accept or reject the resignation.

"But the plans for the opening of the first stage of the Clifton Heritage Park was well underway and I haven’t been involved in any recent meetings, so I don’t know if there were other circumstances which would lead to a delay," he said.

Mr. Dorsett said that when one looks at the makeup of the Clifton Heritage Authority, there are persons who were appointed who brought technical expertise to the project, or who were in the fight to save Clifton.

He said that it would be smart for the new Ingraham administration to keep them involved with the Authority.

"I think that there is nothing that would preclude the new administration from appointing a new chairman and deputy chairman and enabling the authority to carry on its work," Mr. Dorsett said.

"One need only drive out to the facility to notice that areas had been cleared and works were already underway for the construction of the parking facility and contracts had already been entered into for the walkways and nature trails to be put in place. I am not certain whether or not the dynamics of the project have been changed since the new administration has come into office," he said.

Mr. Dorsett said that if a formal meeting has not been held, then the plans should still be left in place.

"The plans call for an opening for later this year," he said.

"It is realistic to be completed by the end of the summer or the fall. We may have had ambitions to do so earlier. One has to realize that with the construction boom, it was very difficult to find persons who could conduct the work at a reasonable price within the timeframe that we’d wished."


27th June 2007