Politicians call meetings over East End Seaport
(CNS): The opposition member for East End, Arden McLean, and the independent member for North Side, Ezzard Miller, will be hosting public meetings in their constituencies next week regarding Joe Imparato’s proposal to government to develop a commercial port on land he owns in the High Rock area of East End. The elected representatives have said that they believe there is significant opposition to the idea in their districts, which will both be affected by the potential development should it go ahead. McLean and Miller stated that the meetings would allow people to air their feelings, share information and enable the MLAs to ensure that they are representing their constituents fairly.
The developer of the proposed project, which he says will include oil storage, cruise home berthing and a mega yacht marina as well as a cargo port, will be given to government to manage once he has finished it. The developer has admitted that he will make the return on his investment from the fill or marl which will need to be removed in order to create the facility.
Although Imparato has said he also intends to hold a series of public meetings in the districts, dates for those meetings have not yet been released and it is not clear if he will attend the meetings to be hosted by the MLAs, though they said that an invitation has been extended to him.
As one of Grand Cayman’s most pristine and undeveloped areas, there has been opposition to the proposal from outside the district as well, especially from divers. CNS contact CITA and a spokesperson said that members had not yet been polled regarding their feelings but the organisation would expect that any such development would undertake a thorough environmental impact assessment. The spokesperson said that until the members had seen the full plans it was unclear how many and which dive sites were at risk and how much of a negative impact that would have on the tourism industry.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, Premier McKeeva Bush ridiculed the member for East End for voicing his intentions to lay “in front of the bulldozers” if the development went ahead, as he offered government’s backing for the proposal. Bush told the House that his government was pushing hard to kick start the local economy by going ahead with projects to advance the country’s infrastructure and included the cargo development in his list.
All members of the public are invited to attend the meetings, which will be hosted by Arden McLean at the civic centre in East End at 8pm on Monday, 8 November, and North Side MLA Ezzard Miller will host his meeting at the civic centre in North Side at 8pm on Tuesday, 9 November.
Category: Local News
Realisticly this affects every Caymanian. Imagine the stream of 18 wheeler’s thundering through historicly quiet neighbourhoods from EE to GT. The air quality will be lovely as well.
Before the Premier allows Imparato to destroy East End, it might be a better idea to allow that channel (another Burns project) to be dug across the street in South Sound all the way to Randyke Gardens.
If the streets in Randyke Gardens (already underwater most of the year) were turned into canals with access to the ocean then all of those poor people living there would see the value of their property rise and he could charge land tax for anyone whose house has direct access to the sea.
Does it matter even a little bit what the people of Cayman want or even think? Only if it coincides with what de bushmon tink. Get some balls people and stop yer whinning. Crying can’t stop greed. You can’t fight your leadership with what you got.
The Eastern Districts as a collective is the saving grace of Cayman today.
This proposal is nothing but the beginning of the end of said saving grace.
As soon as this port is erected the domino fall will commence and development will run rampant as it has in SMB – then in another 30 years we will be crying the same old song in regards to the Eastern districts as we are now for SMB!
If we need to extend our cargo and cruise berthing facilities (doubtful as industry related reports are predicting a forthcoming avoidance of the Caribbean ports) then let us do so on the previously developed areas of the island!
For goodness sake – the UK and other European countries have HUNDREDS OF MILES OF PROTECTED COASTLINE!! Extending up to 10 miles inland at some points! Those countries are in now way as dependent on their coastline as is the Cayman Islands!
Why is this so difficult for people to understand?!
Our TOURISTS LOVE the calm and tranquil qualities of our Eastern districts – most are FED UP with the over-development and congestion of SMB and GT – but still we are adamant on destroying their (and our) last bit of solace?!
Absolutely amazing.
*As for the jobs argument – give me a break! All over this world people commute daily to get to work – in the UK alone the average commute is something like 1.5 hours! If our EE and NS residents need a job – then for the better good of everyone else – let them make their way to work! (Btw, I too will eventually be falling into the category of a resident of the Eastern districts.)*
Furthermore – we ALL KNOW that there will be another tsunami of work permit workers to complete this project.
Come on Cayman … let us take our heads out of our behinds for once! See the true picture for what it is. Notrue, justified or valuable long term benefit will come from this project to the people of this country.
Instead, it will only fatten the pockets of a select few – mostly non-Caymanians … as is always the case.
Sincerely,
whodatis
If you can honestly believe that the entire infastructure for the Cayman Islands can completely ignore the bulk of the country’s land mass then you are sorely mistaken.
What part of the landfill is overflowing and a new landfill is required do you not understand?
Where do you propose to put a new landfill in West Bay? Wake up for God’s sake, quit being so shelfish this is now a luxury and those from the East End and North Side have used the existing landfill for decades so snap out of it.
The new landfill must go in the Eastern District.
These meetings will be about the ‘East End Quarry’ which will never lead to a Seaport. The ‘Seaport Fantasy’ is just a sales pitch constructed with some quite impressive smoke and mirrors, in order to allow the land use to be changed and the quarry to go ahead in a pristine area of Cayman. East Enders are right to oppose it, unless of course they like to watch Cayman being raped.
KICK START THE ECONOMY WHAT A JOKE
Does anyone take our dictator seriously and believe this BS.
How will this project kick start the economy with a hand full of jobs in a quarry digging fill that there is no market for on this island while Caymanian quarry operator will be put out of business. The loss of jobs from 3 or 4 Caymanian quarry operators will far out number the new jobs created in Imparato’s quarry.
Then we have to wait 15 years or more for the hole to be dug to commence building the port and the infrastructure he talks about. I guess the economy may have to wait 15 years for the "Kick Start" !!!!! to actual "Kick In"
If the dictator is genuinely serious about "Kick Starting" the economy, then commence the construction of the new cargo port by joining up all the old quarries at Bodden Town and Pease Bay that have already been excavated and are ready for re-development NOW !!!!
This would benefit many Caymanians, save the dstruction of more land and the environment, however it would not benefit the self interests of Mr. Bush and Mr. Imparato. Does this sound familiar.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF THE BIG DEVELOPER, MR BUSH, SELF INTEREST AND PERSONAL GREED
we feel ya mr.breakers
Listen to what they have to say before you judge.
He does not need a welcome – he is an old hand and probably stands at the head of the welcoming committee to new big developers (see Dr Shetty).