Dear Sir:

On Thursday, June 28th, I met with the Vice President of GENCOM and the Chief Operating Officer of Cap Juluca. This meeting took place after their earlier meeting with the Government of Anguilla. The purpose of our meeting was for the GENCOM Vice President to express his company’s plan of action for constructing additional buildings along the Cove Bay dunes, in an effort to expand the existing Cap Juluca hotel.

During this meeting, it was firmly conveyed to me that it is GENCOM’s intent to build new villas and other structures on the narrow strip of sand dune, located directly in front of our property. He also went on to discuss how they would be backfilling the Cove Pond in order to create new land to build these new villas. Throughout our conversation, I made it very clear that any form of building structures in the proposed location would be detrimental to the success and existence of my property. From where we sat, there was a clear and unobstructed view of St. Martin, the sea, and Cove Bay. One of our most unique selling points would be gone in an instant should this proposed development be approved.

I stood firm on the premise that should anything be developed on the Cove Bay dunes, not only would it be a disaster for this property, but it is also an ecological catastrophe in the making. In addition to the environmental issues which would arise from this, the Cove Bay area was publicly declared a prime location for a national park for the people of Anguilla by the Government of Anguilla. How then is it that this Gencom representative is overly confident that this project will be finalized shortly?

The GENCOM Vice President sent us an email the following morning indicating he would like to have the GENCOM architects and the company President meet with me to discuss how they can “lessen the burden that [I’ll] experience as a result of [their] undertakings at Cap Juluca.”

If I were to assume anything, I would have to believe that this issue has been resolved in full and GENCOM can proceed as they wish with the government’s blessing. I am now, once again, writing to let you know that this is by no means over. I refuse to remain quiet on this issue. I am disgusted that these people have the audacity to come into my island and dictate to me, a native son, what they intend to do on this island, regardless of the negative impact on my or anyone else’s investment. Gentlemen, why would you allow one of the largest real estates companies on this planet to create a burden for your people and at their mercy, “lessen it”?

Why would you allow yourselves to go down in history as the worst leaders this region has ever experienced?

You know that we are a loving people and if you need psychiatric attention, we will arrange the necessary steps to have one of our Anguillian doctors examine and ensure you are not experiencing a chronic mental disease. Why would our government facilitate greedy foreign investors crushing the Anguillian investors? Are you out of touch with reality?

As I see it, the proposed developers are not really interested in running Cap Juluca as a hotel, but rather in the high real estate profits involved. Of course, if my suspicion is correct, these major developers want to maximize potential on-sale value, and this is why they want to put as much land as possible under construction. Do we want to find that they have sold it on to others with whom we have had little chance to negotiate?

Should this proposed development become a reality, in another 5 years, our entire southern coastline will be covered in solid concrete from Cove Castles all the way to Blowing Point. Is this what our resting foreparents had envisioned for us? A country where our children and our children’s children will have to appear as beggars to freely access our beaches whether to swim, to fish or just to socialize?

Is it fair for outside invading forces to dictate for us? Are we going to sit back and allow the youth of Anguilla to get so mad and confused that their options are grossly limited? We are at a great disadvantage to be Anguillians today simply because we allow ourselves to be hijacked by a dangerous evil force – a force that will not tire until all of us are destroyed. This evil force is GREED.

As a result, I am openly holding you, Mr. Osbourne Fleming, Mr. Victor Banks, Mr. Kenneth Harrigan, Mr. McNeil Rogers, and the five unqualified members of your negotiating group, totally responsible for any negative consequences that may result from this willful, distasteful act you are about to impose on an indigenous Anguillian.

I want to make it expressly clear that I will not sit quietly by while you facilitate this. I have written to you on more than one occasion and I am now appealing to you to give me a direct and timely response. You need to come out and publicly state your position on this issue once and for all. Transparency is an absolute must at this point.

Sincerely,
Sheridan Smith

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