It was a heated meeting on Thursday evening that lasted for three hours, where residents in Virgin Gorda made it abundantly clear that they do not want to see the construction of a dock with 52 slips and a new artificial barrier reef at Nail Bay.

"It´s a waste of time that you have this presentation. We don´t want it. We don´t want anything to do with it. I am telling you Mr. George, leave our beach and as far as the documents that I have seen and I have here, you are in breach of the agreement. I will tell you this tonight; we intend to recall this lease because you are putting home owners in Nail Bay at jeopardy. There is no site suitable for the dock and I say there is no point in bringing your experts here, we don´t want it," Lurie Rhymer of the Virgin Islands Environmental Council (VIEC) said at the meeting.

Rhymer said that he was sent to the meeting to speak on behalf of residents and also threatened to tie up the project by taking the Government to court if it allows Nail Bay to go ahead with the project. "We took the Government to court over the Beef Island project and we won. Mr. George I am telling you this tonight, we will take this to court and this project will be tied up and you will not even be able to talk about it because it will be in court. I am telling you, leave our things alone."

However, Ajit Mathew George, Managing Director of Nail Bay Resort said that residents are free to do what they want since it is a democracy, but he will continue to do what he has to since if he does otherwise, he will be in breach of a contract.

George had several experts at the meeting which was held at Catholic Community Center in the Valley, Virgin Gorda to explain aspects of the project; however the men were interrupted by several outbursts from to time. "We don´t want it." George pleaded with persons, especially Rhymer to allow the consultants to speak and then they would open the floor for questions.

According to Nail Bay, the proposed dock is an architecturally creative design that takes into account the natural contours of Nail Bay beach and will be visually attractive from throughout Nail Bay as well as from the sea. They stated that they decided to limit the slips to just one side of the dock so that the area between the dock and the beach would be totally protected from any boat traffic, transforming it into a virtual marine sanctuary that would be safe for swimmers and snorkelers at all times.

The dock will go out about 300 feet from Nail Bay beach and will have two wings with slips on each wing. This private dock will have 14 slips that can handle boats up to 60 feet; 12 slips that can handle boats up to 50 feet; 24 slips that can handle boats up to 35 feet and two slips to handle ferries.

There will be two artificial barrier reefs installed at Nail Bay to protect the proposed dock from the ground sea. The artificial barrier reef is estimated to add almost 20,000 metric tons of marine biomass to the environment on an annual basis. According to Nail Bay, this artificial barrier reef will also protect the existing coral reefs between the dock and the beach from large ground swells, minimizing future damage to the reef.

One of the experts from Water Restoration Inc. in Pensacola, Florida explained to residents that environmentally it is a "Plus-Plus" for this project. "Protect dockage, shoreline and remaining corals from storm damage. Add significant productive substrate for fish and corals to grow and thrive-19, 200 square feet/250,000, square feet 430,000 cubic feet."

However, at the meeting there was not one resident that stood up in support of the project, many believed it will severely impact the nature of both beaches as well as severely impact the coral reefs that extend along the whole shoreline.

"Don´t come with half cook duck to give us to eat. This is not 1995 where we allow certain things to happen and we never benefited. We are more educated now and will not be fooled. You have all of that land and now you want to take our beach now. Now you are jumping in the sea. You don´t have enough Mr. George," a resident said.

Several other persons expressed the view that Nail Bay´s experts are using the BVI as an experiment, while almost everyone that stood up to speak asked George to explained how the people of VG will benefit. However, George said that he did not come prepared to answer such a question and at the next public meeting which will be held early next year by Town and Country Planning, he will provide that answer.

In relation to the environmental aspect, George said that copies of the environmental report prepared in connection with the application and a set of the proposed plans in a CD format is now available at no cost.

The project which George said will take six years after everything is approved and which minimum cost cannot be less than $50M has not yet been approved. BVI Platinum News understands that the project may cost up to $200M.

The agreement was signed under the National Democratic Party (NDP) between the then Chief Minister, Hon. Dr. Orlando Smith and the company on the 16th December, 2006 that, "hereinafter called the Government which expression shall include Governments of the British Virgin Islands howsoever constituted." This means that any successive Government is bonded to the agreement.

According to the agreement, the Government agrees to grant to the developers, in accordance with existing laws and policies, all necessary approvals and permits, including a sea bed license for the construction of a private jetty along Nail Bay property if a suitable site can be found.

In relation to the environment, the agreement states that Government agreed not to permit or allow anyone to place in the water on or near the structure, any object or thing which is or may have a harmful or injurious effect on the shoreline and the beach adjacent to or near Nail Bay property or maybe unsightly or in any way impede the enjoyment of the resort and any aspect of the development by guests or property owners.

Following the meeting, George told BVI Platinum News that in the BVI, no developmental project has been accepted by residents and that he had expected such a response. "I knew this was going to happen. In the BVI no project has been embraced and basically no place developers are loved."