Balmoral residents offered settlement on condo hotel disruption

Balmoral Club President Dwayne Mortimer said a settlement offer made to residents of The Balmoral development should compensate them for any disruption caused by the construction of a proposed $25 million condo hotel in the residential community. Mortimer told Guardian Business that the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board (SDAB) acknowledged the settlement offer made by the Balmoral Club. Dawson Malone, chairman of the SDAB, said at the board’s last hearing on the issue that the matter was adjourned, as the parties had undertaken to engage in settlement discussions.

Residents have 14 days from September 11 to accept or decline the offer made by the club. Residents of The Balmoral filed an appeal against the club – which manages the residential community – to the SDAB against an earlier approval granted by the Town Planning Committee in 2022 for the construction of the condo hotel. Residents claimed that they were not made aware of any town hall meeting that was supposed to take place about the proposed new hotel.



Residents also claimed that the construction would disrupt their way of life in the community and bring in undesired construction crews. They further claimed that the proposed hotel was above the height limit for the community, and would obstruct their view and lower the value of their properties. Mortimer said about the height of the proposed hotel: “Essentially what I did was, residents were concerned about the height of the building.

So, we indicated that we would adjust the size of it, the height of it, and a number of other things we believe would be beneficial to the community.” Mortimer added: “We listened to the residents, and we accepted a lot of what they said, so that the project could be considered to be approved.” Mortimer sees the condo hotel as a “much needed addition” to the room inventory called for by Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, who told media that the country needs 15,000 rooms over the next 10 years.

“What we want to do is an exclusive boutique hotel. Our view is that when we do that exclusive boutique hotel, it will enhance the property values that are there, because we also are mindful that we will not be the first community that has a hotel or rental properties in a gated community. There is the Lyford Cay Club that has the Lyford Cay hotel, and has had it for years now.

” The Balmoral has already spent over $400,000 on planning and architectural designs, and Mortimer does not want to see his initial investment go to waste. “We just need to get past this approval and move full force,” he said..