Save Exuma Alliance (SEA), the coalition of business and community leaders formed to protect the Central Exuma Cays from overdevelopment, today accused the principals behind the proposed Yntegra/Rosewood project of failing to respect the public consultation process after the developer publicly brushed aside widespread concerns raised at a recent community meeting.
SEA’s statement follows a Town Hall Planning Committee meeting held in Black Point on February 5, where residents, stakeholders and technical voices offered detailed feedback on amended plans for a proposed Rosewood resort on Sampson Cay. SEA said the developer’s remarks the following day — dismissing the concerns expressed — call into question whether the consultation is being treated as meaningful engagement or a procedural formality.
The Yntegra’s Rosewood project has faced criticism since its launch, with residents and stakeholders citing potential environmental harm and safety risks, including concerns about increased boat traffic, a large seawall that could alter water flows, and potential impacts to seagrass and coral. The developer withdrew its original site plan following public objection and returned with revisions that were the subject of the February 5 meeting.
Despite the meeting being scheduled at a time and location that made attendance difficult for some, SEA said the venue was filled with people determined to participate.
“In a genuine consultation, you don’t invite people to speak and then dismiss what they say,” SEA said. “If a meeting is held and the feedback is ignored because it is inconvenient, then it is not consultation — it is a box-ticking exercise. People showed up in good faith, and they deserve to be taken seriously.”
SEA said the overwhelming tone of the meeting was constructive, with many participants urging meaningful adjustments rather than outright rejection.
“The points raised were sincere and solutions-oriented,” SEA said. “There were residents concerned about environmental impacts, experts warning about the difficulty and danger of navigating local waterways to access the proposed site, and others emphasizing that the scale of the development is not suited to this location. Across the board, people asked for changes and compromise. You cannot call a process ‘consultation’ and then disregard the outcome because you don’t like what you heard.”
SEA also responded to the developer’s claim that some Black Point residents were not given the chance to speak, noting that the meeting was moderated by the Town Planning Committee chairperson.
“There were strong views expressed, and the chair worked to ensure as many people as possible could be heard,” SEA said. “It is troubling to suggest that those who did not speak represent support, while dismissing those who did. The developer should listen to the people who made the effort to attend at night, without easy transport options, because they care deeply about their community and environment.”
SEA warned that repeatedly disregarding public input risks undermining the legitimacy of the process.
“A consultation process must be real — and it must be respected,” SEA said. “Developments of this scale require procedures to be properly followed. You cannot fly in from abroad and attempt to railroad a project through while treating local participation as an inconvenience. That approach disrespects the community members who attended and the Town Planning Committee that facilitated the meeting. It also fuels understandable anger when people feel their voices are being ignored.”
A further meeting is scheduled for February 20 in George Town, Exuma.
