Archive Entry: Docking on familiar territory

Just looking through some old archives of ideas for articles that I had that I didn't end up following through with.  One that caught my attention was in respect to the docks in Hamilton.  Since it's winter, we've quickly forgotten about how each summer the docks become overwhelmed and it becomes horrendous to be able to get anything through.  I had taken a couple screenshots on google maps of Sir John's proposed move of the docks to the north side of town.  While I havn't gone anywhere with the concept in terms of a full piece, I thought I'd post the screenshots anyway and perhaps revisit it again later.

Our current docks:

Compared to... 

The wide open space above government house (sorry Mr. Governor, Bda might have to come first)

I really can't help but look at that and see it as a perfect spot to relocate our docks to.  I have little doubt that the issue will resurface and when it does, perhaps I'll retouch on this thought again

Comments

[wave2wave]

A big problem with a North Shore docking facility is that one of our largest seagrass meadows lies just offshore there.

Also that area is not within the Corp. of Hamilton which means they won't get the dock fees that the city needs to survive.

Losing more open space to development would be a bitter pill to swallow too...

great blog, btw.

[Denis Pitcher]

Wave2Wave,

Glad to hear people are reading my ramblings.

Unfortunately I have little doubt that the dock issue will resurface and there arn't any likely alternatives that would serve the island as well as to the north of hamilton.

What is clear is that we cannot sustain the present location for much longer as every summer we encounter the same backlog issues.

Unless we want to invest heavily in automation technology like the dutch have, I'm doubtful we'll have much in terms of alternatives

[De Onion]

The corporation should be folded into government anyway - the city exists as a high density central business district of the urban area of Bermuda.

Don't forget the potential offered by the former Baselands and St. George's Harbour docks. That would be a great place for bonded warehouses and docks that would have decent road access, as well as only minimal impact to existing landowners.

[Burnell]

On a another note, we are reclaiming land around the airport. The once place we have plenty of land. Why cant we move the dump to another area (back of dockyard or North shore) and reclaim land there for a fixed period of time. Say the Gov lays out a plan for say 10 years. The reclaim land for this period lay a great break water around it. Then place soil or the mulch ontop of it. We now have instant open space. Trees, bench's and public docks for boat. Pack up and move to another area. Sure the NIMBY affect would kick in but when an area was finshed most would believe it was worth it. There is talk about widening or dredging the channels. Same thing create a breakwater/wall to contain then instead of dumping out to sea dump within this area. Instant land, heck land we could build on but I am for the green spaces myself.

[wave2wave]

There are other reasons why the docks have not been moved to St. Geo or Morgans Point. The container trucks need to get the goods to the warehouses and they are mostly in Hamilton.

As I said above, a container dock on N. Shore would be bad for the seagrass meadows there - which would cause an immediate decline in fish stocks, further impacting our fish and fishermen.

Another problem is we get strong NW winds in the winter, of hurricane strength, but for longer durations than summer hurricanes. A container dock on N. Shore would be heavily battered every winter. This is why we never built a port along that shore in the past 500+ years (except wee little Devonshire Dock).

There once was a plan to dredge a ships channel through what was then marsh (we once had an estuary) from Mills Creek east to Marsh Folly, and despite the environmental devastation that would have put the container ships in the right spot. Unfortunately the estuary was paved over instead - which also killed off the sturgeon, fresh water clams and other creatures that once lived in Bermuda but are now all but gone.

Why anyone would want to destroy healthy seabed for some low-diversity parkland is beside me. You could sit in the park and look at the artificial shoreline and all the murky water you created - nice.

You really want the city dissolved so that the politicians can manage its funds too???