BECQ plans to bolster monitoring presence on Tinian

The Bureau of Environmental Coastal Quality looks to bolster its monitoring presence on Tinian using the historic $1.2 million permit siting fee paid by Alter City Group for its proposed hotel resort project on the island.

In an interview, BECQ administrator Frank Rabauliman said that just by looking at the archaeological designs of the project, he could not recall another development that even comes close to that size.

Citing the proposed commercial hotel-casino and military planned live-fire ranges, Rabauliman said they are looking to beef up their human resource and technical presence on Tinian.

Alter City has proposed a construction timeline of 12 years to be done in three phases. The company secured from the government in November last year a lease on a 152-hectare Tinian land that currently sits on a dumpsite.

Alter City wants to build a $360-million resort that includes 1,000 hotel rooms, water parks, an 18-hole golf course, villas, casino facilities, and related tourism amenities.

The $1.2 million Alter City paid last week BECQ covers the project’s first phase. The bureau calculates fees through a formula assessing the project’s total investment.

Noting how Alter City’s lease sits on a dumpsite, Rabauliman said the bureau would have to look at impacts on coastal areas, among others, he said.

Not only commercial development but also military development creates a “need for added resources on Tinian,” he said.

“We have to make certain that is taken care of,” he said, referring to the U.S. military plans for live-fire ranges on Tinian.

The bureau has only one staff on Tinian, tasked with routine monitoring, according to Rabauliman.

Meanwhile, another multi-million dollar resort project on Tinian has not yet filed permit application with the Coastal Resources Management, even after signing a lease with the Commonwealth Ports Authority in March last year.

Bridge Investment Group LLC plans to build a $130- million-plus resort, the Tinian Ocean View Resort. In March 2014, it was reported that actual construction was being eyed for December this year.

“We have not received any permit application on this proposed development,” said CRM director Fran Castro when asked about this.

An email sent to BIG executive director Phillip Mendiola-Long was not replied to as of yesterday.

Rabauliman said, though, they have had pre-application meeting with the company representatives, where they have walked through the proposed investment.

BIG has leased 439,200 square feet on Tinian for .30 cents per square foot.

The resort’s proposed 300 hotel rooms will include a presidential suite, 15 suites, and 58 executive suites. The facility will also include a casino and banquet room, among other amenities.