Hotel planned for former Autour de Rocher site in Lorient?

[LuckyKid]

If I am reading this correctly, the COM has granted a go-ahead for the building of a 5-star 24 room hotel at the former Autour de Rocher site in Lorient.

(As seen on Facebook.) Is that what is this document says? My French is not strong.
- Peter

Official looking PDF on the COM's website: http://www.comstbarth.fr/iso_album/2015-633_ce.pdf

Par : Paco CHANSEAU
c/o Restaurant Tamarin - Saline
97133 SAINT BARTHELEMY

Objet de la demande :
Demande si l'operation projetee est realisable
Creation d'un hotel de luxe 5 etoiles compose de 24 bungalows,
construits en bois et fondus dans une vegetation naturelle.

Sur un terrain sis it : AP 0137- LORIENT

 

[JEK]

I hope so. A small boutique hotel there instead of the ruins would be an improvement, IMO.

 

[JEK]

I see it is being developed by Paco of Tamarin fame! If the build is on par with what he and his wife did at Tamarin, this will be a gem of hotel.

 

[LMAC]

It is a very cool location for a hotel, and as JEK said,

it will be an improvement over the ruins.

Our first interaction at that location was with a bartender by the name of Andy!

Also, Paco's involvement may explain why we heard that Manu of Le Plage is going to work at Tamarin.

 

[LuckyKid]

I hope so. A small boutique hotel there instead of the ruins would be an improvement, IMO.

24 bungalows is a small boutique hotel? Not sure I agree on "small" JEK. I wonder how the abutters feel about this scale of development in Lorient?

Another hotel project for the island. Who is keeping track of the numbers? If each hotel project we have heard about goes ahead, that would be a stunned change in # of rooms available over the next few years.

Also, this does not appear to be a building permit, but a planning and/or land use decision. An OK to proceed further, if I am reading it accurately

[Warning, Google translation]
'CERTIFICATE WORTH PLANNING ADDRESS BY THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON BEHALF OF THE COLLECTIVITE'

Article 1: The planning permission application is PERMITTED for the operation contemplated in the application with the following requirements : the project must strictly respect the requested area, the number of buildings creating, the architectural and vegetal integration on the site will have to remain very discrete and inconspicuous from the beach Lorient and Saint John.

Article 2: The building permit will be allowed on condition :
- The characteristics of the access road to the property allow normal movement of gear to fight against fire,
- The petitioner is content to make electric power available and personally responsible the electricity supply of the project in case of failure of network Electricite de France.

Article 3: The President is responsible for monitoring and execution of this deliberation

 

[elgreaux]

Yes this is what's called a CU "certificate d'urbanisme" Positif, or approval that the land is deemed okay to build such a project,.. they would still need to get a building permit submitted and approved but this is the first step toward that..

I agree that there are a lot of hotel projects on the drawings boards, from the Carl Gustaf reopening to the new one in Grand Cul de Sac, the permit for a 46-room hotel in Flamands and the potential 86 rooms in Lurin, plus this one at Autour du Rocher, could be as many as a total of 200 rooms.. which may be about the same number "lost" with the closing of the St Barth Beach Hotel (to be replaced by a new one), Filao Beach (absorbed into Eden Rock), Francois Plantation (closed), and the Baie des Flamands (now the site of two villas)...

of course the question arises about staffing, housing, water, trash disposal, cars, parking, and all the other resources that are already over burdened..

 

[cassidain]

24 bungalows is a small boutique hotel? Not sure I agree on "small" JEK.

According to a little on line research, 24 rooms, or even 48 rooms if the bungalows are all 2 BR, would indeed be considered small even for a "boutique hotel" according to industry terminology. 10 rooms, for example, isn't even considered a hotel but rather an inn or auberge or B&B.
FWIW

The net total square feet is around 29,000. Exclusive of porches, garages, work spaces, etc. That's probably the equivalent of a handful or so of the recent haut de gamme villas being built on the island.

 

[BBT]

While we will miss our annual trek to the site for a beer and some appetizers after this year, the property is a beautiful piece and the breezes amazing and 24 units would not be overbuilding IMHO.

 

[cassidain]

I agree that there are a lot of hotel projects on the drawings boards, from the Carl Gustaf reopening to the new one in Grand Cul de Sac, the permit for a 46-room hotel in Flamands and the potential 86 rooms in Lurin, plus this one at Autour du Rocher, could be as many as a total of 200 rooms.. which may be about the same number "lost" with the closing of the St Barth Beach Hotel (to be replaced by a new one), Filao Beach (absorbed into Eden Rock), Francois Plantation (closed), and the Baie des Flamands (now the site of two villas)...

of course the question arises about staffing, housing, water, trash disposal, cars, parking, and all the other resources that are already over burdened..

And then there's the shuttered Les Trois Forces. Is it not currently being used as sort of a dormitory for some hotel staff???

 

[LuckyKid]

Thanks Ellen! Your perspective is extremely helpful.

Seeing the number of building projects given the OK to proceed in recent years raises questions. They seem to OK projects as long as there is still land on which to build. Does the 'planning' board just keep on approving these projects until some saturation point is met? (No more land.) Is there a master plan by which each project is evaluated and deemed (un)suitable? Any checks on developers?

A effective planning effort should consider their duty to go beyond what we see on this CU: available land, willingness to comply with aesthetic constraints, electric, fire, etc. Your list items "staffing, housing, water, trash disposal, cars, parking, and all the other resources that are already over burdened" constitute important sustainability and quality of life factors. Does the COM have serious planning efforts that take these factors into account also? Who else will mind the golden goose?

 

[kent1994]

And then there's the shuttered Les Trois Forces. Is it not currently being used as sort of a dormitory for some hotel staff???

For Eden Rock I believe. We used to enjoy having dinner there.

 

[amyb]

I think the staff in 3 Forces is from Guanahani.

 

[Grey]

I think the staff in 3 Forces is from Guanahani.

That was my understanding as well. Bummed we never had the chance to dine at Les Trois Forces.

 

[kent1994]

It is a very cool location for a hotel, and as JEK said,

it will be an improvement over the ruins.

Our first interaction at that location was with a bartender by the name of Andy!

Also, Paco's involvement may explain why we heard that Manu of Le Plage is going to work at Tamarin.

Manu was great at La Plage. When our magnum of Whispering Angel was empty he was quick to bring another to our table. We will definitley visit him at Tamarin in February.

 

[kent1994]

I think the staff in 3 Forces is from Guanahani.

Amy I believe you are correct.

 

[elgreaux]

I think some staff from the Eden Rock lives in the former gendarmerie in Corossol...

and speaking of old hotels, there used to be a few rooms at Les Castelets, and even at Autour du Rocher... and it's such a great site, I'd rather see it be a small hotel, hopefully with a bar or restaurant so we can all enjoy the view, than a private residence with no access.... there also seems to be a prevailing theory here that when the building trades are doing well, the economy is doing well, first from the import duty on all those building materials for new hotels and villas.. then the 5% occupancy tax they generate...

 

[RickyG]

A boutique hotel with a bar and restaurant would be sweet.....great views. Not much of a beach down that end though.

 

[BBT]

 

[LuckyKid]

24 bungalows may make the proposed project 'small' by industry standards, but not small for St Barth.

There are not many hotels bigger than 24 rooms on the island currently.

 

[MIke R]

A 5 star hotel doesn't nearly capture the spirit of what Autour was ....no where near ....but it doesn't surprise me someone is going that route .....hey maybe they can even have fashion shows and wine tasting :uncomfortableness: