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Coastal Resort Development |
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ESS Group, Inc. (ESS) is a 70-person multi-disciplinary environmental consulting and engineering firm based out of the Boston, Massachusetts area that specializes in coastal resource management and environmental assessments associated with coastal resort development projects in the United States, The Bahamas, and the Caribbean.
Our project experience includes environmental impact assessements and permitting reviews for resort projects ranging from 5-acre sites to phased project developments of over 5,000
acres. ESS staff have over 25 years of environmental and engineering experience associated with mixed–use coastal resort developments, marinas, golf courses, and remediation sites in the Atlantic and Caribbean Islands.
ESS and ESS staff have provided environmental consulting and engineering services for coastal resort development projects in the following island environments:
Specific Services
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Abaco (The Bahamas)
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Aruba
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Bermuda
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Bimini (The Bahamas)
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Bonaire
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Bonds Cay (The Bahamas)
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Cat Island (The Bahamas)
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Curacao, Netherlands Antilles
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Dominican Republic
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Florida Keys
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Great Guana Cay (The Bahamas)
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Jamaica
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Mayaguana (The Bahamas)
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Puerto Rico
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Rose Island (The Bahamas)
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St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
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St. Lucia
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St. Maarten
ESS Group, Inc. (ESS) specializes in providing comprehensive multi-media environmental and engineering services related to the planning, design, environmental assessment, and construction monitoring of coastal resort development in island environments.
ESS has extensive experience in all phases of coastal resort development projects from completion of environmental impact profiles in investment proposals to preparation of Environmental Impact Asessments and implementation of comprehensive environmental monitoring programs (EMPs).
We have a full complement of in-house expertise in coastal resort
development projects including:
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Aquatic, Coastal, and Terrestrial Biological Inventories and Surveys
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Botanical Inventory and Monitoring Surveys (Terrestrial and Coastal Margin)
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Avian Community Inventory and Monitoring Surveys
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Civil Site Design and Infrastructure Engineering
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Coastal Engineering (Beach Nourishment, Shoreline Protection,
Breakwaters/Jetties, Sediment Transport Studies, Wave and Tide Studies)
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Cultural, Resource Studies, and Archeological Evaluations
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Environmental Impact Assessments and Permitting
Coastal Zone Management and Land Use Planning
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Water Quality Monitoring (Freshwater and Marine Waters)
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Flood Hazard Protection and Mitigation Planning
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Stormwater Planning and Design
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Golf Course Routing and Design (Environmental)
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Marina, Port, and Harbor Facilities Planning and Design
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Dredging and Dredged Material Disposal/Reuse
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Seagrass and Coral Reef Monitoring
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Fisheries and Wildlife Habitat Assessment
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Soil and Remedial Site Investigations
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Hazardous and Solid Waste Management
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Navigational Impact Assessments
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Groundwater Supply and Wastewater Management
ESS Group, Inc.’s (ESS) key staff have been providing environmental and engineering consulting on international coastal development projects for more than 25 years. As part of the development team, ESS interacts closely with landscape architects, building architects, and other engineers to create sustainable developments based on sensitive site planning and design that balances the development scheme with the protection and
enhancement of the quality of the environmental setting.
ESS routinely acts as liaison with the applicable Ministries of the Environment and Public Works Departments to address principal issues of environmental concern to satisfy the terms of reference in the environmental impact assessment process. Grounded in our
approach is our familiarity with the International Conventions, Treaties, and Protocols associated with environmental standards for coastal island settings.
The following is a summary of representative ESS staff coastal resort development experience:
Rose Island Resort, The Bahamas. ESS was retained to conduct environmental studies, prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental Management Plan, and perform environmental monitoring for a 300-acre resort development including a hotel, condotel, estate homes, townhouses, marina, and marina village complex. As a testament to the technical quality of the documents, they were conditionally approved by the
Bahamas Environment Science and Technology Commission in just over three months – a real benefit in advancing the project’s implementation.
Divi Resorts, Aruba. Renovation and expansion of an existing 250–key coastal beach resort complex on the northwest side of Aruba’s gold coast. Consulting services included beach erosion and stabilization analysis, shoreline erosion protection structures review, flood hazard assessment, and beach renourishment and stabilization control.
Aruba Beach Club #1, Aruba. Feasibility assessment and environmental conditions/shoreline survey of a new 130-unit time share coastal resort development on the northwest coast of Aruba. Consulting services included development feasibility review, flood hazard analysis, beach stability and erosion control, beach renourishment, and shoreline structure evaluations.
Playa Linda, Aruba. Feasibility assessment and environmental conditions/shoreline survey of a new 200-unit time share coastal resort development on the northwest coast of Aruba. Consulting services included development feasibility review, flood hazard analysis, beach stability and erosion control, beach renourishment, and shoreline structure evaluations.
Holiday Inn, Aruba. ESS staff conducted shoreline stabilization and beach erosion assessments for an existing 600–key oceanfront resort complex on the northwest coast of Aruba. Consulting services included existing shoreline conditions assessments, shoreline sediment transport studies, structural/nonstructural beach erosion control solutions assessment, beach renourishment evaluations, and local permitting reviews.
Baker’s Bay Ocean & Golf Club, Great Guana Cay, The Bahamas. ESS prepared the Natural Hazard Preparedness and Response Plan for a 600-acre resort development including estate homes, townhouses, golf course, marina, and marina village complex. The contents of the Natural Hazard Preparedness and Response Plan included information on the characterization of natural hazard profiles, vulnerability assessment, preventive mitigation, emergency planning, emergency response, and postevent recovery.
Cat Island Resort, The Bahamas. ESS is providing environmental and engineering services including environmental studies, preparing an Environmental Impact Assessment, and civil site design and infrastructure engineering for a 2,500-acre resort development including a hotel, estate homes, townhouses, and golf courses.
Bonds Cay Resort, The Bahamas. ESS is providing environmental and engineering services including environmental studies, preparing an Environmental Impact Assessment, and civil site design and infrastructure engineering for a 500-acre resort development including a hotel, estate homes, and townhouses.
Angel Cay Resort, Abaco, The Bahamas. ESS provided initial development feasibility assessments and preliminary environmental impact assessments, site planning, and design for an 85-acre resort development including a hotel, townhouses, marina, and marina village.
Mayaguana Development, Mayaguana, The Bahamas. ESS was retained by a joint venture between the I-Group and the Hotel Corporation of The Bahamas to conduct environmental studies and prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment for a 5,800-acre resort development including a hotel, airport improvements, marina facilities, residential subdivisions, golf facilities, roadways, and infrastructure.
Pelican Beach Resorts, Dominican Republic. ESS staff conducted environmental and land use impact studies for a new development of a full-service, mixed-use, 190-key coastal resort complex in Sosua and Cabarete. Consulting services included baseline environmental conditions assessments, shoreline and beach stability analysis, hotel site plan feasibility studies, coastal dune feature preservation and enhancement, flood hazard
potential assessment, and fringe reef and fisheries biological surveys.
Pelican Beach Resorts, St.Maarten. ESS staff conducted environmental and land use impact studies for a new 250-key, fullservice beach resort complex at Simpson Bay. Consulting services included baseline environmental conditions assessments, beach stabilization analysis and control design, beach renourishment, marina boating facilities siting, and local government project permitting.
Modern Continental Enterprises, St. Lucia. ESS staff conducted shoreline and coastal resort feasibility assessment and environmental conditions surveys for a new mixed–use coastal resort complex including 228 luxury apartments, marina, water shuttle, and beach club. Consulting services included coastal resource sensitivity analysis, beach stabilization and shoreline erosion control studies, marina basin dredging and material
disposal, and beach renourishment.
Trusthouse Forte, Bermuda. ESS staff conducted environmental and land use impact studies for expansion and renovation of a satellite beach club facility for the Hamilton-based Bermudiana Hotel located on the south shore. Consulting services included beach club facilities planning, coastal erosion and beach renourishment evaluations, beach and waterfront access planning, environmental impact assessments, and government permitting.
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