Drive between James Cistern and Governor’s Harbour and the question of “How Close is too close to the shoreline?” will come to mind, for at least a couple newly constructed buildings along the way. The same question is currently being considered by Authorities in Eleuthera in reference to a wall that is being constructed along the side of a Banks Road property in Governor’s Harbour.
The southern end of French Leave beach, near the vacation home, made famous as the Caribbean getaway location for the movie set of Tyler Perry’s ‘Why Did I Get Married Too?’, was an area of some controversy late on Wednesday afternoon, May 15th, 2013.
Questionable construction activity just a few feet from the edge of the shoreline was reported to authorities, and the police responded, along with local government Township Chairman and Port Officer, Mr. Lionel Fernander.
Heavy equipment had been used to rip into the rocky shore at the edge of the beach to make way for the construction of what was described as a containment wall for the property just south of the famous movie set vacation home, reportedly owned by a Mr. Jerome Pyfrom. The new wall, of which a large part has already been constructed from the Banks road towards the public beach, flanks the public access road.
The contractor at the site was questioned by police as to having the necessary permits to carry on the construction of the wall so near to the water (which would effectively cut off the sea rock path from French Leave beach south to Nix Point beach). While a general construction permit to construct a wall was said to have been obtained, authorities confirmed that permission had not been obtained to build the structure located so close to the water, nor had permission been given to rip into the natural rocky shoreline, described by Fernander as effectively dredging at the edge of the beach.
Fernander highlighted that, despite recent activity to the contrary, by law, structures are not permitted to be built within twenty feet of the shoreline’s high water mark, with an additional twenty foot setback required. The contractor was then asked by police to halt construction of the wall structure, until further consultation with relevant government agencies.
