San Pedro’s Boom: Progress or Overdevelopment?

San Pedro is booming. New developments, dredging projects, and construction sites have become a familiar sight on the island, and the growth shows no signs of slowing down. But not everyone sees that as a good thing. With concerns growing on both sides of the debate, we asked the area representative a simple but loaded question: Is San Pedro developing too much, too fast? Hear what he had to say.

 

Andre Perez, Area Representative, Belize Rural South

“It is growing by leaps and bounds and in fact it’s growing exponentially, especially up north. So this is where we have to find a balance, you know. I can hear the concerns of certain people, especially in the tourism business, are concerned that maybe there is the issue of overdevelopment. And of course there’s the other side of the coin that there are people who are saying, “Listen, I need a piece of land for me to build my house. I have a right to the Belizean dream. I have a right to live on an island. I’m working hard here. But in the light of all the other things, perhaps it’s time to look and say, “Let’s take a pause in development,” because it’s going a bit too fast. So as a government, we are aware of it, acutely aware of it. In light of this development are Belizeans being outpriced? No. Well, let me backtrack a little bit. Some years ago there was not opportunity for any Belizeans because they were being outpriced. Because in the previous administration there was more focus with the land development of land giving, which we are still inheriting, which we are still grappling with. We have developed over 1,000 lots to be given to residents, first-time landowners. So at this point in time, everyone here, the new generation, first-time landowners are getting the opportunity to get a piece of land. So that is actually counteracting those that are saying [they] are being outpriced.”

 

Golf Cart Chaos Chokes San Pedro Streets

 

And if the cranes and construction are not enough to slow you down on San Pedro, the golf carts just might. The numbers keep climbing, and the noise and congestion are hard to ignore. But officials insist steps are being taken to slow approvals, cap rentals, and ease traffic with new routes for heavy trucks. So, has the island finally reached its limit?

 

Andre Perez, Area Representative, Belize Rural South

“You know, we’ve been there too many times. Yes, indeed, we have a lot of golf carts, but I can tell you at this point in time, we have done a lot of work in curbing, in slowing down, especially approval of golf carts. Priority is being given to those who live up north of Ambergris Caye. Remember, Ambergris Caye is a huge island. There are people living 15-16 miles north of the bridge. So we are doing, in a case where the committee is looking at areas where people live up north. We are very much put a cap on the golf cart rentals. They’re very much under a cap that they’re not being approved any new golf cart rentals, only replacements. And of course, the big trucks that’s been passing around town that never assisted us, it never made it look like we have peace in the town with the noise of so many trucks running. We now have two ports on the other side that allows the trucks then to bring in their material from the other side instead of going through the town. So that has been very helpful and a clear difference at this point in time. But of course, we always be on the vanguard that we keep on doing, that we monitor it now. But certainly we are in a much better place than we were maybe six months ago.”

 

Perez says the measures are working but admits the island will need continued monitoring as growth shows no signs of slowing down.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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