Angry Beach Bay Residents Oppose Developers

(CNS): Residents of the Beach Bay area expressed anger and frustration at the major resort developments proposed in the quiet residential community when meeting with representatives of overseas developers at a meeting on Tuesday night. Did. The ever-changing hotel project by SJP Development first obtained a building permit in 2017, but before that, the land was subdivided by the PPM government, with limited public consultation and large scale. $ 25 million concession The deal was given to the developer.

However, Treasury Minister Chris Sanders, who is currently in charge of obligations and other concessions, told the CNS that the new government is not constitutionally obliged to grant the exemptions agreed under the agreement. He said the government has not given major developers any obligations, concessions or other exemptions since his inauguration.

Sanders told the CNS that the environment is “completely different” than when the deal was signed in 2015. The exemption decision is made by the Cabinet, but if the developer applied for or applied for a concession to this project, he could not anticipate it. However, he said the PACT government could not be bound by the decisions of the previous administration and would be guided by the feelings of the inhabitants, the economic situation and government policies.

On behalf of the developers Spencer LevineThe President of RAL Development Services gave an overview of the proposed 10-story beachfront hotel and Residency Resort. Mandarin Oriental Brand Construction is currently scheduled to begin in August. But he had a hard time telling angry residents how to benefit from a project that included a penthouse apartment that sold for $ 22 million. He was also unable to answer questions from the CNS about the concessions the development had received so far and their expectations for the remaining $ 25 million giveaway.

He couldn’t confirm if the developer had any further exemptions. CI $ 582,000 As of April 2019, they had already received under the last government, including the money that should have been paid to the Environmental Protection Fund.

Developers are already benefiting ConcessionsAt the meeting, residents made it very clear that they would suffer as a result of this project. Many have lived in the community for decades and were unaware of the rezoning that would allow SJP to submit plans for resorts such as 10-story hotels and 7-story apartments.

The scale of the project is a major concern in the low-density residential family community, exacerbated by the fact that it completely transforms the entire region. However, throughout the planning process, only those who live within the very limited distance of the project were formally allowed to oppose.

Loss of access to their beaches, increased traffic, noise and impact of construction, clearing of the wilderness, and the end of the tranquility that homeowners were looking for when buying or building a home were all by residents at the conference. It was a raised issue. They were also still angry with past snabs by developers who had no connection with them at any given time.

Levine said the project would benefit from the island’s tourists and 500 jobs. However, residents have pointed out that the arrival of tourists is detrimental to their quality of life, and historically the Cayman Islands have had little, if any, benefit from this type of job creation. did.

Saunders, the MP of Bodden Town West, where the proposed hotel location is located, said he wanted to hear what the residents had to say about the situation. However, his efforts to keep himself away from the series of events related to the project over the past few years have failed.

He wasn’t in government when the zoning was changed or concessions were given, but he has been representing the region since 2017. He seemed to resign due to the fact that he was too late to save their community.

Mr Sanders said the government couldn’t do anything about what happened in the past, but could guarantee that it would never happen again and said he didn’t want to see Cayman turn into a concrete jungle more than his members. rice field.