Copyright thenassauguardian
Dwayne Mortimer, president of The Balmoral Club, told Guardian Business on Saturday that the Balmoral Homeowners Association (HOA) is trying to stifle his investment in the property’s $25 million condo hotel complex by asking the Supreme Court for a stay to put a halt to the development, so they can make application to the court. Mortimer claimed that from January – when the stay was first granted to the HOA – they have done nothing to further their cause in the court, and it is now only serving to stifle his investment. The Balmoral Club was first granted approval for a smaller project by the Town Planning Committee (TPC) in February 2022. In October 2023, a new application for a larger, eight-story, 50-unit condo hotel was submitted, a deviation from the earlier approval. The TPC rejected the new, larger plan in November 2023, stating that it was incompatible with the existing community’s land use and development trends. The Balmoral Club appealed the rejection to the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board in December 2024, however the original February 2022 approval remains valid. The HOA asked the Supreme Court for a stay from the TPC’s decision in January 2025. Mortimer said: “Since January, the HOA has done nothing. So from my view, it’s just my perception, they just really want to stall my project, because from January to now, they haven’t pushed the things forward.” Members of the Balmoral HOA were unavailable for comment up to press time. Mortimer added: “It’s unfortunate that a Bahamian hotel project has to go through these kinds of unnecessary roadblocks, because, as is the case in Palm Cay, the hotel project brings value to the properties there. “As is the case in Albany, the hotel project brings value there. As is the case in Lyford Cay, the hotel project brings value to the property owners. “So I don’t know what makes the HOA so special, because when we finish our project, their property values will go up at least 15 percent at no cost to them.” The HOA has said repeatedly that the proposed hotel/condominium will bring undesirables into the gated community during and after construction. The HOA has also said in meetings at the TPC that the construction will be a nuisance to residents, and the project design would choke off certain entry and exit points. The HOA has also said that the club did not consult it on the project prior to submitting documentation to the TPC for approval. Mortimer had said that when he called for a meeting with the HOA in 2019, no one responded to his email and disregarded subsequent emails. Mortimer also said that he agrees that the larger project should be scaled back, and he did so, and he will continue to work with the HOA to on changing any other designs they have concerns about in the future. “The current property hall plays host to several events a year and can hold up to 600 people at a time. There was never a complaint when those events were taking place, and everyone knows we have top-flight security that will escort people off of the compound if they get too out of hand. Our hotel is only 30 rooms, and at best 60 people total on any given day.”
