Coastal works pose threat

| 10/01/2012

North Sound (276x300).jpg(CNS): A coastal works application made by a Dart owned company to dredge two canals inland at Vista Norte in the West Bay area will have an irreversible adverse impact on the marine environment in the North Sound, government conservation experts have warned. According to a memo sent by the Department of the Environment to the ministry regarding the application, the two canals will destroy over 138,000sq.ft of sea grass and remove over 161,000 cubic yards of material. The work’s application by Crymble Land Holdings for the proposed canals — one 2,135 feet in length and the second more than 1,500 feet — are to serve a proposed canal-based hotel and tourism development and take almost three years to dredge.

The details of the application and the DoE’s concerns were revealed in a memo released following a freedom of information request made by a CNS reader. The memo shows that the DoE recommended that the application made in September be held in abeyance until a master-plan has been submitted for the entire development, which covers some 340 acres.

The DoE’s environmental assessment officer stated in the memo that the department would need to see a “full and robust justification” for the extensive dredging works because of the adverse impact it would have. However, the agent was unable to supply the DoE with any information as the plans were not completed. The department official pointed out that government would be negligent to authorize these significant dredging works without seeing a plan for the development.

The department also recommended that a full Environmental Impact Assessment be undertaken on the project with the terms of reference being established by a specially convened environmental advisory board.

This is a requirement that the developer would be obligated to undertake if the stalled National Conservation Bill had been passed.

The issue of dredging continues to raise controversy as developers seek ways to provide access to the ocean for the wealthy boat owners that they hope to serve with their high-end projects. But the impact of dredging on the local marine environment can be devastating. Local conservation experts have warned that dredging continues to be one of the most significant threats to the local marine environment and should be avoided wherever possible.

See DoE memo below.

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  1. so Anonymous says:

    Look at what Dart hs done for Cayman.  Look at what Bush and the Bushits have done for cayman.  What do you see?

  2. Anonymous says:

    Atleast DART is investing his money here. What are you doing to make the economy better??

  3. Anonymous says:

    Wow! There is DOE trying to protect our coastal waters? Why have they not produced an EIA for that brown oozing liquid flowing into the North Sound by the landfill…?

    I am sure that is doing more damage to our environment. Perhaps I do an injustice to DOE? May be they have and the Government have buried that report!  

  4. Dennis Smith says:

    Sounds sensational; Why did they use sq ft for the turle grass area? Tring to make a big number? Why not use sq inches for an even bigger number?

    138 000 square foot = 19,872,000 square inch

    or sq acres

    138 000 square foot = 3.168 acres

    or house lots 10

    or  sq miles

    138 000 square foot = 0.005 square mile

    Looks like a resonable size area to me.

     

     

    • Anonymous says:

      That's just the turtle grass at the opening to the sound. There is no turtle grass where the canals are dredged into the land.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Oh it won't be long until Cuba is open to the States….and then we will all say…CAYMAN WHO?????  It will be like what Cayman used to be and what we want.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Ken Dart is an interesting man, to say the least.  Yes, he is a citizen of Cayman, now that he has given up his U.S. citizenship to avoid paying millions in taxes. (One could ask how he became a citizen so quickly)   But he is also a citizen of Belize.   "google"  his name and you could write a book.  Love him or hate him, he is fascinating.  He bought  a billion dollars of Brazil's debt to help them "restructure".  He only made 605 million dollars off  that deal, and was disappointed it wasn't more.  Sounds to me like he could buy Cayman "lock, stock and barrel" along with every person on it.  But is he a bad person?  Does being a billionaire make you a bad person?   Like it or not, he is pouring millions of dollars into Cayman.

    • Anonymous says:

      How did Ken Dart become a "citizen" so quickly, you ask??? The same way Michael Ryan and John Kaweski did. He got irrevocable Cayman Status because McKeeva Bush gave him it.

      • Anonymous says:

         Nice of you point the finger when with a certain amount of local investment and having lived on the island for certain amount of time anyone can ask for Status. So stop trying to make it seem like there something fishy going on. These to have invested more into the island then any born Caymanian and they both actually have lived here for years. Having set down roots and invested their heart and soul as well as there money I'd say they deserve status ..

        • Anonymous says:

          Please do not compare Dart and Ryan.

          • Anonymous says:

            You're right I don't know anything about this Ryan guy. Except for the Ritz what has he done in Cayman..

      • Anonymous says:

        It is not irrevocable – it is just that no one in govt has the cajones to do what needs to be done.

        • Anonymous says:

          Are you suggesting that Darts Status needs to be revoked…If so please explain why when he's done nothing wrong…

    • Captain Morgan says:

      An interesting man indeed! A man that has invested millions in the Cayman Islands and some say has bought up the islands for future development.

      So I ask myself why would he want to destroy the environment with these canals that would diminish the value of his investment? Seems to be some scaremongering here!

  7. Anonymous says:

    Darts Canals – The Real Dart Agenda – what will the "For Cayman" spin be on this????????????

    • Anonymous says:

      What I find most confusing is that there are literally 100's of condo's and houses for sale on GC. When you look in the Compass there are 100's of empty properties waiting to be rented, and rents are going down!. Hotels always seem to have plenty of availability and numbers of visitors are down. So my question is why do you need to build more properties?. A friend has just sold their condo, it took over 2 years to find a buyer and then only because they sold it for the same price as when they bought it, over 4 years ago!!!. 

  8. Anonymous says:

    Follow the money……

  9. Anonymous says:

    I wonder what Jean Michel Custeau thinks about this lol

    • Anonymous says:

      Jean Michel has done nothing but gone around the world trading on his father's name as he enjoys freebies from fawning tree huggers.

      Unlike investors he has not contributed one cent to the benefit of our country, so I really don't give a stuff what he thinks.

    • anonymous says:

      who really cares what Jean Michel Custard thinks of this???

  10. Anonymous says:

    I hate to sound so pessimistic, but it seems whatever Dart wants, Dart gets.  Cayman no longer belongs to Caymanians.  It is paradise lost.  And Mr. Dart doesn't give crap about Cayman or Caymanians.  If Cayman didn't have Offshore Banking where he could hide his millions from the United States tax man, he wouldn't have set foot in Cayman.  

     

    • Anonymous says:

       

      Dart has nothing to hide from the US Tax man he is a Caymanian Citizen weather you like it or not….Personally If I were him I’d just leave this little island to itself and go somewhere I would be appreciated.

      • Anonymous says:

        Dart gave up his US Citizenship to avoid paying taxes there. That's one place he cannot "go to" or "be appreciated in", I'm sure Belize is another. Followed by Argentina.

        There is no such thing as a "Caymanian Citizen", Dart was given irrevocable Cayman Status by McKeeva Bush. He stays here because Mac will allow him to do whatever he wants.

        • Anonymous says:

          Well it seems to me like the USA's loss is our gain, would it have been better if he stayed in the US and gave them millions of dollars a year in taxes for them to just waste instead of choosing to come here and invest it into the Caymans..I commend him for his decision to control his own destiny. The US only hates him because they can no longer milk him like a cow and Argentina hates him only because he asked them to pay back the money he loaned them which was the deal they signed. No different than people who blame the bank because they can’t pay their mortgages it’s not the banks fault if you fall on hard times Unfortunate but true.

          Whether you like is are not Dart has invested heavily into this little island and for him to succeed Cayman has to flourish and recover so he’s not going to do anything to destroy the island. Everything he’s built has been built in a way that enhances the island. So we need to show him some appreciation and stop hating, because quite frankly if he’d never came here our island future would be grim.

      • Crayon Break says:

        Yes he is caymanian now, but I ask you, what kind of American was he? Cayman is happy to have an accomplished family and corporation settling here,(taking full advantage of our very  tax free lifestyle )what is not welcomed is the arrogance to imagine that money can buy anything and anyone(as i type this im thinking actually it does e.g. our blessed govt that can only manage "handouts", I often wonder if Govt Chiefs just wait for Dart to call with money and one sided deals)

         

        But hey im just an old hippy what do I know!

      • Anonymous says:

        He has been everywhere

  11. anonymous says:

    Guys get real. Go to Google Earth and check. Less than 40% of Grand Cayman has even been touched or part of a district (and that EXCLUDES all undeveloped land in WB, GT, Prospect and BT.)

    The actual figure of land developed is likely to be half that or around 20% that has been developed.

    Conclusion:

    1. We have lots of land available….

    2. We have lots of development to go…..

    3. As development is what pays for our free schools, free hospitals, gives granny some seafarers money, pays our police, pays $80M per year in Social Services handouts development is HERE TO STAY!!!!!

    Like it or start paying income or property tax. Or find another source for the $505M that your government spends on you each year.  Your choice, but you cannot have no development and still expect Government to give you all those goodies "free".

    • Anonymous says:

      We could do without the importation of poverty development here historically brIngs and then perhaps social services would not have to pay out 80 million a year.

    • Anonymous says:

      The concept of SUSTAINABLE development seems to be lost on some commenters.   It's no use us dredging out all that sea grass etc to have a development that will produce some stamp duty, work permit fees and provide some business to the establishments frequented by manual labourers if the result is, say, that the variety of marine life in our waters is 5% less each time we dredge.  Tourists will start to say 'the diving isn't as good as it used to be' and our LONG-TERM prospects will be damaged.  Small increase in business for Nana's Jerk House (which was doing well already), one struggling SMB restaurant closes and one dive charter firm goes bust.  Good compromise?  

       

      This is worth thinking about.  For example, let's say a given development destroys some lobster habitat.  How could that ever be worth doing if it means lobster season has to be shortened by a week and every tourist that wants one during that week is told 'sorry, there aren't as many as there used to be' and they stop coming.  I don't know if this is a realistic scenario, but it's an example of the kind of trade-off we risk every time we do this.

       

      We need to be looking at the interplay between tourism, finance and development to see how they impact each other and make sure that nothing we do is taking from one to give to the other.  We need to UNDERSTAND our economy, and start making it work for us.  Of course, all three of these areas are under the purview of the Premier when each should be receiving the attention of a dedicated minister, but that's a separate problem.

       

      The real problem is that we need a national consensus on where and how we continue to develop, and a clear understanding of when and WHY we are going to take EDUCATED risks with what we have, after full disclosure from the developer and independent reviews.  Profit for some company and the payment of a few government fees is not enough reason.  Few rational people oppose continued development, but we can see that we need a Phase 2 for Cayman and it can't be another Phase 1, which has got us to where we are (lots of problems).

    • A.M. says:

      I know I may get alot of thumbs down for this comment. But I personally believe Cayman should adopt a transparent Income Tax system for the purposes of Social Services. Starting with taxing those who are well-off, higher than those who are earning a low wage. And exempting senior citizens, those who are unemployed, and those making lower than 5 dollars an hour.  

      • noname says:

        And just who, pray tell, is going to collect this income tax?  Employers?  And you think they'll just pay that over to the new expensive tax authority that will have to be created, unlike the way they do with health lnsurance and pensions?  Unless you're willing to put a lot of Caymanian business owners in jail (and you better start building a new prison right now!) for basically stealing the tax they deduct from their employees, then this will become just another fee for the big companies while the little ones get a way with murder.  It simply won't work here because it won't be enforced. Not to mention, companies would flee in droves.

        • Observer says:

          If government can fund a 300 plus police force with luxurius salaries, I am sure they are able to fund a tax authority to oversee taxes being paid for social and educational programs.

          • Anonymous says:

            Luxury salaries??! The average Police Constable is paid slightly less than a baggage handler at Owen Roberts Airport. Suggest you get your facts straight before spouting off…

          • Anonymous says:

            300 plus police force with luxurious salaries?  Where do you live, because it isn't here in Cayman! 

            Plus, that still doesn't address the fact that a) many Cayman employers won't pay over deducted income taxes unless they were made to go to prison and b) there's no political will to put Caymanian business owners in prison.

            And… you uninformed comment also doesn't address that fact that being income tax free is one of the primarly recruiting tools used to attract top legal and financial industry talent (the kind not available here in sufficient numbers).  Impose an income tax and employers would simply have to pay more to that top talent, making it less attractive to be here.  Your multi-national companies will transfer jobs out of here, meaning more Caymanians lose their jobs.

    • Jonny says:

      Free! not sure where you live but none of that is free, we pay for it in every dollar we spend, whether that is in duty, on a power bill or food from the store, we pay that's how it works, free, you must be joking…

    • Anonymous says:

      Hey thanks for that.

      Do you own property? If so do you have a back yard? Yes?…Excellent.

      Lets develop that because the loss of amenity to you is a mere trifle to the profit it will generate for the builders and everyone else. Just send us your address and the title deeds and we will get straight onto it.

      On the other hand, if you think that  that is not such a good idea then please stop lecturing Caymanians on why the amount of the island that remains a tropical island should in effect be open slather for transformation into new Miami.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Yeah more concrete and less conservation!

    That’s what will bring in people to these islands!

    • Anonymous says:

      Crime will stop people from coming before development will…Clean up your own backyard..

      • Anonymous says:

        Development was too rapid, its kind of linked.  Anyways, its over-construction and monopolisation in my eyes, not development.

  13. Green Hornet says:

    They banned building canals in Florida over 20 years ago because of their adverse environmental impacts. How come we're sill doing it? OK, don't answer that queation….

  14. Anonymous says:

    It doesent matter how many people object. Dart will get what he wants anyway, he always does. The Premier is his puppet all he has to do is pull a few strings.

    • Anonymous says:

      Agreed.   No one pays any attention to the man behind the iron curtain.

  15. so Anonymous says:

    Go on Google earth.  Take a close look at the shoreline of north sound.  What do you see?  Not much left undredged.  After all that has allready been done NOW many of you want to jump on the bandwagon.  What was the difference here?  Was it that a non Caymanian is going to do it?  All your typical crying and blameing, and lets all get together and stop this action will have about as much effect as trying to get your own government to do what you want.  Caymankind.  You can't stop progress when you can't even control it.

    • Anonymous says:

      Mr. Dart is Caymanian.

      • Kmanlady says:

        If Dart is Caymanian, Why do he want to destroy his Island?  This also applies to the Premier, who definitly is a Caymanian but he has allow greed overcome him.

        • Jonny says:

          Simple, Money, Money,Money…….

        • anonymous says:

          Define “destroy”…..you mean getting rid of swamp and dead mangroves? Or maiden plum? Changing old bush and imported iguanas for living accommodation? Converting some of Cayman into food for us and money for the treasury?

          One man’s “destroy” is another man’ssalary……

  16. Anonymous says:

    Sometimes it boogles my mind to keep hearing of the number of new developments in the planning process. Who are we building for? Certainly we would need to grossly increase the permanent population just to start  to fill the proposed residential developments between Emerald Sound, Camana Bay and Vista Norte, not to mention every other residential project already subdivided and registered. It seems to be in stark contradiction to current immigration policy, yet developers are bending over backwards to spend a lot of money planning to create more and more potential living space. Remebering that not so long ago, our fearless leader suggested that a full time population of 100,000 is needed to support this economy, just common sense would suggest thats just the tip of the iceberg to come.

    • Chris Johnson says:

      Who are we building for? Probably the best response to the article. A couple of years agoMr Bush gave new incentives to foreigners wishing to make large investments in Cayman. I just wonder how many this attracted. I suspect none, otherwise we would have heard about it.
      Who will fill these condos, I have no idea. It will not be persons working here and I cannot see foreigners or too many coming here. So with the Ryan project floundering with no new developmentand problems selling land on the golf course what makes people believe there is a real market out there? Then there is the south sound project. Again where is the market?
      Take a look at Governors Sound first developed in 1968. Yet there are huge amounts of land unsold. Good luck to the developers and I hope you have feasibility studies done by the big four to support your project. My guess is that the insolvency boys will be there not too long afterwards.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Well there we go again!

    I remember seeing a model of the Ritz Carlton at a publicity session years back, and saying how terrible it was, building right to the beach on one side and right to the Sound on the other. A major storm would wash away the beach, and would have no natural mangrove break on the other. That project happened anyway because the developer was Macs buddy back then (remember how the law got changed to allow tall buildings just for him?) and here we are again, it doesnt matter how bad this project is for the Island, Mac will make it happen because his new best buddy is?

    Well, he who pays the piper calls the tune, shouldnt you choose your leaders more wisely? Then they might dance to Caymanian tunes instead of the developers.

    • The Ritz is bad for the Island? says:

      Are you insane?

      • Anonymous says:

        Bad in the way it was done. Very little trickle down for locals – and a massive divide between Caymanians and expat developers ever since. Remember all the jobs promised to the 90% indigenous Caymanian staff at Holiday Inn? What happened to the many west bay taxi drivers that used to service it? Some expats call it progress. Some Caymanians call it a takeover.

        • Anonymous says:

          It's both

          • Anonymous says:

            Why do you think its progress?  Its too subjective to mention it without context.

            Frankly, saying something should be done because its 'progress'/'development' is a circular argument, meaningless, and avoides the point.

      • Anonymous says:

        You miss the point, the Ritz may indeed be good for the Island, but distorting the Island in three directions is not.

        Caymanians long ago decided they should not allow high rise, they were right.

        They long ago realised that development right up to the beach was bad for the beach, they were right.

        They long ago realised that removal of mangroves was removing the best hurricane defence, they were right.

        However, Macs best buddy wanted allthe above so he got it. What did Mac get?

        Now Dart is the best buddy, so guess what?

        Thats not good for the Island, so let them have only what IS good for the Island, you still get the development but without the downside, trouble is, maybe Mac doesnt get what he wants!

        • anonymous says:

          We 'decided' against tall buildings because we could not afford a FIRE TRUCK with a 100 foot ladder. We got those now!!!  nothing more than that.

        • Anonymous says:

          We also decided to limit the height of buildings on Seven Mile Beach before all the beach was bought up.  Now, in order to keep building we need to go up.  Cayman's economy need continuing construction and the payment of stamp duties on those Seven Mile Beach condos – unless you want to implement property tax or income tax.

          Besides, the Ritz, at five storeys isn't all that bad.  We're not talking about the 20-40 storey buildings you find in Miami, Aruba or Panama… or even the 15-storey condos you find in St. Martin.  Really… we have to be willing to grow with the times. Just because something was one way in the 60s or 70s doesn't mean it should always stay so.

    • Chris Johnson says:

      He may have been Macs buddy. That does not interest me but what does is when he will pay the money he owes the Cayman Islands. Do the MLAs not care or has it been written off. I just hoe the AG reads my comments and investigates the matter further. Does the Government have no sense of urgency?

  18. The Watcher says:

    Trouble makers at it again.  I do not know why these people is not looking at other things happening on the Island.  If Kenneth Dart Sneeze some people will catch the cold, they are so close.

  19. Anonymous says:

    If 30 West Bayers get jobs, and 30 West Bayers get new steel-toe boots, and 30 West Bayers get ForCayman Alliance t-shirts, and Judas gets his 30 pieces of silver, then I expect it will get approval from "Governor in Cabinet".

  20. Anonymous says:

    Get used to it folks…..we will be petitioning against this Dart in our hearts and his mc madman god for eternity if we want to save any of what we were founded on…..our SEA!!!  This is what our tourism growth has forever been based on, this is what so many Caymanians have always depended on to make a living, and now many others too, this is what our future depends on……otherwise what do we have and why would people want to come here….we have nothing else to offer to our own much less to the demanding wealthy.  DOE please do not ever cave in to the developers and our greedy dictator…..listen to the intelligent and ecologically minded people of these islands and do the right thing…..no development is worth sacrificing any of our marine environment for any reason.   

  21. Anonymous says:

    dart doesnt care, have you see the damage to the beach by the retaining wall in front of his house, or where there used to be a beach anyway?

    • Anonymous says:

      13:15.  Come on, it is the West Indian Club that wall has been there for ages, it has nothing to do with Mr Dart that was there when you parents were young.

  22. Anonymous says:

    The west side of North Sound is pretty messed up already, but what I don't understand is that there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of empty canal front residential lots already. Some of these developments are 20-30 years old and they still can't sell the lots to anyone who wants to build a house. At Rum Point there are at least a hundred and the new development hasn't got a single house in it six or seven years after the canals were put in. "if you build it they will come" doesn't seem to be working out very well, and you might want to consider the lack of demand for the supply being created. I'm not against people building houses, but these semi-empty developments look like hell and don't add money or jobs to the economy while they sit and rot.

  23. Anonymous says:

    Where are the GROSS NIMBYS on this?

    Great Residents of South Sound Not In My Backyarders

  24. Anonymous says:

    How many tourist will come to see a concreted Island with no marine life left in the surrounding ocean and a huge mountain of garbage stuck in the middle????

    Right – I forgot – whe then charge them a stupid amount to snorkel in a filthy lagoon at Boatswains Beach (or is it now called Turtle Farm again????).

    The rest of the world has caught on and moved towards conservation and development WITH nature in mind. Only in Cayman are we still 25 years behind.

  25. Len Layman says:

    This points out the necessity of getting a proper conservation bill in place right away.   For too long we have had the developers setting out the terms of reference for these studies, when it should be done by an impartial environment advisory board, receiving input from all interested parties both for and against a project.  Only then will we truly have solid information to make the go/no-go decision on these projects.

    Governments lack of willingness to deal with this bill indicates, at least to me, that they are more interested serving the needs of the developers than the people and environment of these Islands.  The only reason it would make sense to put the bill off is if they knew deep down that some of these projects would not hold up under truly independent reviews.  If the case were otherwise there would be no reason not to pass the legislation.

    A proper conservation law will assure responsible development moves forward and not just “profitable development”.  Hence holding us all, politicians included, to a higher level of accountability.

    • A.T says:

      Too bad we can't vote our politicians out of office before having to wait for elections. yeah what a stupid constitution we under. They seem to all want to sit on this bill. One word:  GREED

    • anonymous says:

      Len, when the government puts forwarda Conservation Law draft that makes sense in Cayman it WILL be considered. What was proposed is likely to bring ALL development and infrastructure development to a grinding halt. We would never build another road in Cayman if we have to follow the published draft. Even a simple house would be held up if someone saw an iguana walk across your land before you clear it.

      Simply look at two things..the list of plants and animals that cannot be touched (red shanks, periwinkles, etc) and look at the power granted to DOE. This draft is made for countries that have their main infrastructure in place, have developed industries and have a sustainable economic base. We do not have any of these. It is completely unsuitable for Cayman. It is a good example why laws should not be ripped from overseas libraries and then simply applied to our country.

      While I strongly support a suitable Conservation law, ( we need one and we need to now what is really environmentally sensitive and what is not) what was put forward was draconian and not suitable to our particular country at this part of our economic and social development.

      And I give this government (as well as the previous PPM) kudos and respect for not bringing this forward as is. When it is drafted properly it will be put in place.

  26. Well says:

    Im sure this report will be enough to convice cabinet to scrap the plans and demand better of the developers. Mark Scotland you are not doing your job. Where are our conservation laws?

     

    • From Bodden Town says:

      Ummm… you and Dwayne said in 2009 no dump.

      How come now we having a dump?

    • Anonymous says:

      Mark Who? Conservation What? You don't Mac run things!

  27. Cayman's Hazzard county says:

    Yes, Cayman let us take the time to thank our grand leader for his new vision of Cayman.Where Cayman is run from a small town square off the Harquail by pass. Where democracy is in the Hand of a very powerful few and our legislative assembly is merely a Mock debate for our Ruler King Of Darts. Boy we sure got alot of court Jesters round dis place ya!

    • Anonymous says:

      Next time you go to the supermarket, take along a stick of mangrove, I'm sure you can get a gallon of milk with it.

      • Anonymous says:

        Our forefathers survived quite fine without all this development, and I can.  It is you who cannot survive without it and without your creature comforts which obviously mean more to you than preserving our environment and healthy marine ecosystems.  Don't worry, you will soon get your wish and be surrounded by lots of stagnant, dead water, because our politicians will continue to sell us out, despite the fact that the majority of us want otherwise.

        • Anonymous says:

           

          Yeah, you're right everyone would love Cayman if we still lived in wooden shacks that were blown down by every storm where there was no Air Conditioning and Mosquitoes infested the whole Island. People read at night by Lamp light and men had to go to Sea every morning to put food on the table…..I'm sure that's what our forefathers wanted for us when they decided to start selling the island to foreigners…They really must have wanted their children’s future to full of agouti meals, fishing for snapper and growing yams for a living. Where youth dying of malaria was common place…  

          If you don't like it here, you should move to Little Cayman and be free to live like yesteryear and see how quickly you’ll want to come back…I’m sure you current sleep under the AC, keep yourfood refrigerated and jump in your car to go to the market when you’re hungry.

          • Anonymous says:

            Here is an even better idea – why don't you do us all a HUGE service, remove yourself from here and go live in Miami?  We will do just fine without you and your kind, thank you very much.

      • Anonymous says:

        You can't do the same with a brick of concrete either, so whats your point?

  28. Anonymous says:

    Then why don't we hurry and pass the much needed Conservation Bill? No probably because it's Dart and he'll do whatever he likes even if it means threatening our natural ecosystems and placing residents at flood risk. This is what we get when we allow developers to do what / when they please.Trust me he's done some good for the island yet if gets any more land then we'll all be paying taxes to him and be calling him King Dart and not Her Majesty. Be careful of developers as they only see $.

    • Rick says:

      And what is so wrong with making money, you socialist?!  What is wrong with greed?!  Greed is the fuel that drives economies, create jobs, and make people rich. But I guess you don't want your family to be well-off under a Conservation law!  You people complain like its the end of the world. Like Chicken Little, the sky is falling!  Sniff and snort all you want. And then you sign petitions against poor Dart and such developers like the ones for Emerald Sound.  You guys make me sick.  Many investors want tocome here and develop and your running them away!  I suggest you live elsewhere where there is enough bush and Conservation.

      • B.B.L. Brown says:

        Rick, that's the dumbest bunch of malarkey I've seen on here in a long time.  Greed is the prime driver of the human race, but letting greed drive the country spells disaster for the people AND the country.  The greedy ones running the show will have everything and the populace will have nothing…….. maybe not even clean water to swim, dive and snorkel in.  Where will your income come from then?  Stupid, stupid, stupid!  We shouldn't let a project be undertaken that will destroy our environment …..  ever!   And Rick,….. may I suggest you move to another place where the water and air is already fouled?  Perhaps you can get rich and be happy.

      • Anonymous says:

        Here is a better suggestion – why don't you move the hell away from us and go live in a concrete jungle or some other place where the marine ecosystems have died and there are large pools of stagnant, stink and filthy water.  You might be driven by greed.  But others are not !   We are driven by care for others around us and for our environment in which we live.   Speak for yourself and voice your opinions – but don't you dare tell the rest of us to go live in the bush – we have every right to protest against further unnecessary damage to our environment and we will not allow greedy developers to ruin it for the rest of us !  Do not underestimate the kindness and tolerance and passiveness of Caymanians, we will only be pushed so far and no more !  Enough is enough.   We are sick and tired of the greed displayed XXX and we are sick and tired of the self-serving politicians who enable them.  Change soon come.  And it might be even before the next election !

        • Anonymous says:

          "You people"

           

          "Sniff and snort…"

           

          "You guys make me sick"

           

          "…live elsewhere…"

           

          "…move the hell away from us…"

           

          "…don't you dare…"

           

          "…we will only be pushed so far…"

           

          Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

           

          With communication like this, it's no wonder we're all wondering what happened to paradise.  Can't we at least try to communicate our different points of view with good grace?  Isn't the objective to try to get the other side to understand your perspectives?  Do you not think that perhaps your vitriol is a bit counterproductive to this aim?  I have no doubt that the participants of this particular exchange are now further divided than ever. 

           

          Children would do a better job of debating the issues facing our islands.  

           

           

      • Anonymous says:

        It is people like you, that make us realize why 1% of the world's population controls all the wealth and will try their best to continue controlling it, and why the other 99% do not,  because greed drives people like you.  Greed make you forget the good principles which should govern how we all live e.g. sound reasoning and balanced judgement, caring for the welfare of others, and caring for our mutual environments in which we live.  It brings to mind what Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."    My wish is that those in power think about what this means and remember what they were taught by their parents andgrandparents and how they were raised, and not allow greedy developers to corrupt them and destroy their island.

        • Anonymous says:

          And it's people like you who want to do nothing but live for free and survive of the one percent, this is why they are in control because of folks like you who aren't willing to work hard to get ahead instead just lay on thier butts and complain about those who have more. You people kill me, everyone doesn't deserve the same style of life nor is anyone entitled to a certain style of life. If you work hard for certain style of life you deserve to live a certain way, if you lay on your behind, you deserve the sorry lifestyle you have and that all you will ever be..

          • Anonymous says:

            My, my, what an angry and malevolent little person you seem to be?  Why don't you try telling that line of faulty reasoning to the hardworking middle-class Americans who lost their homes because of the mortgage crises which pushed interest rates high up out of their reach and whose banks repossessed their homes, to those who had good jobs but lost them due to a recession which businesses to go under, and who did nothing but worked hard all their lives, but still ended up losing, because of GREED ON WALL STREET AND PEOPLE LIKE YOU !  Dumb a$$.

            • Anonymous says:

              Don't confuse Hard Working middle class people with the Dregs of society that sit on thier behinds and live off others….Idiot..

      • Naya Boy says:

        RICK – Real Idiot on Cayman Koolaid? tek dat yas Ra$$ u!

    • Anonymous says:

      My poor people….think small and worry big

  29. DubK says:

    The destruction of Cayman continues all you boys and girls out there get your last photos to show your kids because that is all that will be left memories and archive photos of our island.What a shame we have no leadership?

  30. Stiff-Necked Fool says:

    Yea, and this is the man that loves Cayman and its people so much!  FOR REAL, NOT!!!!!!!!!

  31. Jonny says:

    I say give it to him just like he gets everything else, screw the Cayman islands and every person who live here, in fact just sell him the whole island, he nearly owns it anyway. All the proud Caymanians on this island who are always talking the talk on how great there island is sit back and do nothing, the few who do stand up and do what's right get no support from them at all. You are selling your children out for a quick dollar, don't you realize what is going on in your own country, or is it you just don't care……..

  32. Anonymous says:

    Yawn… and the eath is coming to end in 2012.

    • Anonymous says:

      Try not to spell and yawn at the same time, fella.

    • Dred says:

      You know you make a really good point there. So I am guessing you wouldn't mind signing over all your worldly possessions to me then.

  33. Rick says:

    So what???  If you cut down land to build your house on it, it too will have "an irreversible adverse impact" on the environment. Dahhhh!  You will kill trees, bush, and wildlife just to build your house!  You selfish thing!  And that is what people like Burns Conolly is saying. If the DOE and Environmentalists ever have their way nothing will ever be developed for Cayman's good. "No money made, no honey"!

    • Jonny says:

      it's not progress, it's making a fast dollar. Cayman has so little resorues that very soon nothing will be left, it's people like you who see only money, greed and are selfish. Our children will have a concrete jungle to enjoy, their will be nothing green here anymore, except the money.

      • Rick says:

        Who cares about your children?  Send them away!  Once the developers make money, they will plant their own jungles and greenery, and beautiful once and for all the Cayman Islands. The bush breeds mosquitoes and has no color but green. There is no beauty, and the wildlife is typical. You can find wildlife anywhere else. Think man!  Stop being so narrow minded.  Cayman is already gone to the dogs, work for Dart and the rich, and you'll make the buck, trust me. That is how the world is – learn to accept it!

        • Anonymous says:

          OH MY GOD.  Do people like you really exist.  What a thoroughly selfish excuse for a human being you are.  Since you are so in love with what Dart is doing, you join him, the rest of us can think for ourselves and do what we want, which is the opposite of what you want.  GO IN PEACE !  And don't forget to stop by every now and then and let us know how much riches you have made on your journey in Dartland.

      • anonymous says:

        But at worst case they wil be able to afford to take a trip to go see a real forest. Your way they will simply starve to death looking at those half dead mangroves.

      • anonymous says:

        "Cayman has so little resources"…..which is why we need developers from overseas to come here with their money, generate activity and leave some of it here.

        Money is not everything however our government needs it right now to give us services. As many Caymanians are going hungry tonight, with no job in sight, it is very important right now to converty some of that old swamp into construction.

  34. Anonymous says:

    Good to know that someone somewhere has the blinkers off and is looking out for the good of the island. 

  35. Anonymous says:

    This is good news, The DOE bringing this proposed dredging impact to light in this DART proposal. 161,000 cubic yards of dredged fill material.

    Now the DOE can move on to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment study on the 20,000,000 cubic yards of dredged fill from the Sea Captains Red Bay cruise dock proposal

    • anonymous says:

      The Sea Captains truly welcome an EIA in Red Bay and also one for George Town. They now know that the impact to the environment in GT is far greater than in Red Bay. They know the impact to killing all those snorkeling reefs in GT is tremendous and an irreplaceable loss.  So they say study away. 

      (By the way its 12,000,000 not 20! Hehe….)