Island residents from the Lagoon Area in downtown San Pedro staged a small protest yesterday, September 24, 2024, against the newly proposed San Pedro Artisans Market, introduced by Hon. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, and Hon. Andre Perez, Area Representative for Belize Rural South. Protesters expressed concern over the lack of consultation with the community and were able to stop workers from cutting down trees in the area.
Despite this pushback, the San Pedro Town Council stated in a public notice that construction of the Artisans Market will commence immediately, which will require the removal of all personal items, junk and other structures within the project location. It also mentioned that certain trees will also require removal to accommodate the investment.
The public notice stated, “The Artisans Market will provide our artisans a home that is worthy of their craft. The initial concept was shared with the public on April 3rd and the ground breaking was announced on September 3rd. All feedback gathered from the public was shared with the planners— updates to the design have been made in response.”
One of the main concerns that the initiative will address is the indiscriminate use of the area as a junk deposit AND personal storage area for a few, stated the Town Council’s Post. “Today’s investment will enrich the local community and promote sustainable tourism for the benefit of ALL island residents.”
Objecting Artisans Market
Some local residents opposed to the new project express concerns that the Lagoon Street and surrounding area will lose the last remnants of downtown San Pedro’s charm. They emphasize that the market’s concrete structures will obstruct scenic views of the lagoon, spoiling the stunning sunsets that both visitors and locals cherish. Additionally, residents are worried about limited access for boat owners, who rely on the lagoon for dry docking their vessels—especially critical during storm threats. “Even though it’s a project funded by BTB, it is within the SPTC jurisdiction. It is a public space that should be beautified for the benefit of tourism. My family and I have invested all our efforts and money in this area and provide jobs to local. We also contribute thousands of dollars in taxes monthly to BTB, and contribute to the town council tax pool by paying trade Licenses, restaurant and liquor license. Plus we have been residing in this area for almost 30 year, yet we were not consulted and feel that your intentions are not clear. This is worrying since I have my investment in a tourism business promoting and selling lagoon front Sunset View.
Building two story buildings in front of my property threatens my business existence and livelihood. It will certainly depreciate the value of my assets and hamper my strategy to promote my business. There are many uncertainties that may lead me to believe that the Town council is not willing to support small local business.”– commented one lagoon-side resident
The San Pedro Town Council says that it commits to reintroduce mangroves and native island plants to the location (as part of our nature-based restoration efforts). They estimate that at least 200 linear feet of seawall will be reinforced with an offshore fringe of mangroves. Additionally, approximately 100 native plants will be used as greenery for the artisan market, including sea grapes, cocoplum, white zericote and tropical almonds. This, the Council says, will enhance the climate resilience of the entire area for the benefit of ALL.
One Response
If it wasn’t a junk pile, perhaps there would be more sympathy for the position of leaving it alone.