East Enders will fight dock
(CNS): Over 150 people came out to a meeting regarding proposals to develop a commercial seaport in East End on Monday night and few, if any, were in support. The district’s elected representative Arden McLean told the people he was prepared to lead the opposition to the project from up front but the people would have to raise their voices and stand against it as the government had already revealed its support for the proposal. Prior to the public meeting demonstrating the considerable opposition in the community, the premier had said on Monday morning that few developments were ever supported by everyone and this one had the potential to bring in tremendous revenue. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
At the meeting in his constituency McLean made it clear he opposed the development from a personal position but wanted to know how the people that elected him felt, and it was apparent from the response to his presentation that the audience agreed with his opposition. McLean revealed what he knew of the proposed development by Joe Imparato, with whom he had recently met.
McLean listed the various concerns from the belief that the canal to accommodate the ships would lead to contamination of the fresh water resources in the district by the eventual seepage of sea water into the underground lens, which would eventually deplete the area’s forests.
He spoke of the loss of several key dive sites in the area, as well as long term major environmental damage, the pollution, the quarrying on the fill (the main purpose of the development), the undermining of the local quarrying business, the dangers of the extensive flooding that would be caused in storms, the loss of the scenic road into East End, the cost of new roads which would have to be paid for by the public purse, and the probability that East Enders would be unlikely to derive any benefit.
McLean pointed out that during the first few years of the project as the developer excavated the fill from the area there would be no more than a handful of jobs, and that by the introduction of a specialist corporation to construct the port the developer would be able to by-pass the normal planning and other regulations.
"We have to stop this now," he said, warning that as a member of the minority opposition, if the proposal gets as far as the Legislative Assembly then he could not stop it. "I am here to lead you right up front and we need to send a message and we need to say it loud enough."
Answering McLean’s questions in the Legislative Assembly on Monday morning, McKeeva Bush made it clear that government was waiting to see the developer’s business plan, an economic impact assessment and an environmental impact assessment (which he is commissioning himself) but it believed the proposal had the potential to bring in “tremendous revenue”. Though he said at this stage the government knew no more about the details than what had been revealed in the public statement by Imparato recently. he said, “The developer has submitted a concept; that’s as far as it goes,” adding that it was one he believed in.
The premier did state, however, that he believed that a cargo port should not be in George Town. He said he had had always supported the notion of a commercial port in the North Sound, as he believed it was a natural harbour, but he could not get a proposal or the support for that. However he did support this idea for East end and, if it had started when he was in office the last time, it would be finished by now and be bringing in revenue.
He said he believed in the future financial viability of the project and there was money to be made in transshipment and the other proposals the developer had for the facility. Although others have doubted the viability of Cayman becoming involved in the shipping sector, Bush has said he believes it could be a source of money for the islands. He said he remained to be convinced that a commercial port couldn’t generate “tremendous revenue” for the country and had it already been constructed government would not have had to introduce all the recent fee increases.
Despite the opposition to the idea, he said that people generally come around to things once they have been finished and saw how good they were. The premier said that everyone had said that the Ritz-Carlton and Camana Bay were the worst things in the world when they were proposed. “I have never seen a project go that everyone supports,” Bush added. “They call you names and then ten years alter they say what a good thing it is.”
The premier accuse the member for East End of making opposition to the project but when everything was in hand he would go and talk to the people of East End about the proposal. He said the project had to be to the satisfaction of Cabinet before it would get support from government.
Bush confirmed that Imparato was currently drafting a proposal for special legislation that would create a similar development zone to that created for the London Docklands Development in the UK, ring fencing the facility from existing legislation regarding permits and zoning issues during its development phase. He said that government would be happy to pass the law if it was satisfied with the project once the assessments were confirmed.
The planned public meeting in North Side to be hosted by Ezzard Miller has been postponed until 7 December as a result of problems at the district civic centre.
Category: Headline News
why is it being fought?
Good luck with that Joe. Them East Enders fight breeze.
The obstructionalists in the East End that want everything but are not willing to give anything for the betterment of the country strike me as extremely selfish individuals.
The North side and East End politicians have teamed up to obstruct infastructure development in their districts. Their shortsightedness is distressing.
For them to argue that a new landfill is unnecessary is ignorant. One is an accountant and the other is a marine engineer and yet they present great knowledge of the landfill needs.
My prediction for the landfill is that nothing will be done until there is an environmental disaster and then everyone will have to pay for their selfishness but have no doubt they will find someone else to blame, perhaps me.
Please don’t misunderstand me I do not want to be correct in this prediction yet everyday we add to the overloaded landfill and what else can be the predicted outcome?
Yet we do not need a new landfill, so they say.
What an idiot, doe s/he not understand that the only viable fresh water ground water resource exist in the East End area. That alone is reason why this project should not move off the rather tatty drawing board. There are more appropriate dump sites.
You can name call all day long but the fact remains that this landfill situation is critical and the east end landfill would be lined so perhaps name calling wins discussions in your high school .
More appropiate locations, I noticed beyond that statement you said nothing.
Where is the shame or the outrage at this landfill disaster in the Cayman Islands? Wait lets pretend it doesn’t exist until it’s too late..
As MLA Mr. Miller has said what is needed is more efficient disposal of garbage, not moving the entire dump to contaminate an unspoiled part of the Island simply because there is much undeveloped land there and you think that it is an unimportant part of the Island. You should understand from the present dump that the smell wafts through the air and if it is on the eastern end of the Island where we get our prevailing winds it will waft right through the entire Island. Do you think that Dr. Shetty’s medical tourists (or any other tourists) will come to this Island to enjoy the smell of our garbage?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found that dumps and landfills are a threat to water supplies when water percolates through waste, picking up a variety of substances such as metals, minerals, organic chemicals, bacteria, viruses, explosives, flammables, and other toxic materials. Liners can help but, especially if it is only a plastic liner, they will not eliminate this risk entirely.
While the poster is entirely correct that it does present a serious risk of ground water contamination, if this cargo port goes through there won’t be any fresh water lens anyway as it will just flow into the sea.
Here’s a thought – if we must have a landfill why don’t we put it where the land actually needs to be filled? In general the land in East End does not need to be filled.
Why is that suddenly everything must go in East End – cargo port, oil refinery, dump, Shetty hospital (perhaps)? Why are you people hell-bent on destroying this Island in the name of development and progress?
Arden – Please take over the reins of the PPM!
Seems to me that any port development should be right where it currently is. George Town and Spotts. Just increase GT as needed and utilize for cargo at night and cruise ships by daytime as done now. And Spotts is decades overdue for upgrading for during NorWesters.
Cayman is small (and that’s been a part of it’s appeal) and building mega ports (or quarries) will only destroy what natural beauty/appeal that remains!
The East End is clearly the best location for a port, a dump, and a new airport. Hopefully, it will attract some businesses as well, so that it leaves downtown GT unspoilt, for all the tourists to enjoy. Go East should be the new motto!
To the idea behing the post " I hear so many folks complaining " It’s called living with you means. You say if they can’t get the money they need to operate then we will have to think about direct taxation and property tax. How about this ….maybe the Government should be able to live within their means on the fees they collect for Duty, License Fees, Work Permit fees etc. If they could do that and avoid making bad mistakes that hurt their revenue bases they could operate. If you need more projects to get people to work, well the Government has been controlling the borders. What Kind of people come, multiply and find themselves and family members out of work not making ends meet. Low wage income workers. We are not the United States, we are a small island. Be careful how you grow. They government is supposed to work for us and operate within their means doing the job they are supposed to do. They are supposed to control the borders. Caribbean Politics is all about getting rich and getting votes to stay in power. Small islands like this this are ripe for the picking. Especially with a 2 party system (and people telling you the only alternative is to increase you revenue base because you know if you don’t we’ll have to TAX you. We are already taxed. )
We don’t want it in East End ! Fix the dock at Spotts for the cruise ships and leave the one in GT for cargo.
I’m not from the East End, nor am I Caymanian, but you can be damned sure that if the East Enders march/protest over this, they’ll have my full backing and I’ll march/protest by their sides.
To put this proposed port in the East End is an idiotic proposition that will kill Cayman and its last remaining natural unspoilt tourist attraction.
Dear Lord,
Please forgive us, for the leaders know not what they do, and yet it was we would made them leaders.
Forgive us.
Amen.
I agree with the people of East End. I don’t see the need to destroy their land to make another dock.
If the Government has forgotten, there is a dock located in Spotts with vacant land beside it.
All they need to do is spend the same money they planned on building a new dock in EE to bring Spotts dock up to standards.
I pray that Govt is not able to go through with their project, but if they do; the beautiful district of East End will be no more if they do!
Well said.
It is nice to know that once again Mac has private citizens drafting our legislation. I thought we had a Legal Drafting Department for that. Or is that another inconvenience for our leader?
Well done, Arden! Fight the good fight.
I’m Glad the People of East End is standing up for what they believe in becasue when the so call port is done lets see how many locals will end up having jobs NONE but it will be too late then becasue the damage will already be done.
Why dont the Government consider putting the Port Dock in Spotts? Should every one guess why that could not be considered.
Boy oh boy what an unfair world of thinking. Guess who run things ya..
Keep in mind that the trade winds blow from the East, therefore, swells will be approaching the island from the East. Any berthing facility that is put in place will have to have large barriers and very deep channels that extend farr off the island for protection from these waves. I’m a regular surfer at home and i know how big the waves can get. Is it really worth all the hassle to create a massive facility in the middle of no where, when we have a beautiful, sheltered dock in town. If ur gonna do anything, extend the length of the current dock, all the reefs out there have already been devastated by cruiseships and all of their pollution. Take a dive at Eden rock and tell me what you see…..BLEACHING!
You do that Arden, Shows where you interest truly lies.
Fight new employment,
You Fight increase value of property in East end,
Fight the need for new restaurants, accommodations and more demand on the supply chain,
Fight, more money in circulation in East End
Fight new opportunities besides selling DRUGS in your district.
Keep on fighting. Or could it be that what you are truly fighting, is someone OTHER than YOU bringing success to the people East End?
The insinuation in this post regarding drugs is unnecessary and offensive to the MLA and to the vast majority of the district’s population (regardless of political inclination).
I think the MLA’s motives to stop, obstruct, destroy confidence, and create fear and uncertainty towards what will likely be significant economical growth, for his own political reasons, should be your concern, not merely stating the FACT that drugs are a prevalent problem is East End. You may like to hear that, or think it isn’t nice, but it remains a fact.
So you would therefore imagine that NEW OPPORTUNITY would be a welcomed thing, but it seems politics is first and foremost on the MLA’s agenda. The action man ain’t about action when he doesn’t believe he stand to benefit. He’s all about paving roads across Cayman however on his watch!
This man intentions isn’t genuine.
You obviously lakc the capacity to understand the point the poster was making.
"Fight new opportunities besides selling DRUGS in your district".
This statement could be taken as insinuation that the MLA supports the selling of drugs in his district. Perhaps you did not intend it that way but you really ought to engage your brain before you start typing.
Contrary to what you suggest Mr. McLean, like most East Enders and any right-thinking person, has obvious commonsense objections to the proposed Port. Clearly, the pros and cons of every "opportunity" needs to be weighed and carefully considered. There is evidence that Mr. McLean has done that but there is no evidence from your post that you have done that. You simply see $$$.
Mr. McLean made new roads and paved roads because they were necessary and the public demanded them. They thanked him afterwards because of the great relief they brought to traffic jams. When he did propose a road through the ironwood forest in George Town and it was opposed based on environmental grounds he listened to the people and desisted. On the other hand when the govt. announced the plans for the Shetty hospital he announced his support of it. So, there is absolutely no evidence that Arden is opposing for the sake of opposing or being hypocritical about this as you suggest.
There is no evidence whatsoever that we need a new port at this time. Indeed as I understand it the existing cargo port is operating at 30% of its capacity. Whatever, environmental damage that would have been done by a road through the ironwood forest can be multiplied by a factor of 10 for the damage that would be done by creating this port in East End. In all likelihood there are only a handful of people who would actually benefit from this project but this Island would suffer.
The case is actually opposite of what you say: you are only supporting this simply because it was what your party leader wants.
you really think eastenders will beneft from this. the only one that will benefit already have and they are the ones that sold their land to Imperato. like all other big projects in cayman including the coming shetty hospital, mostly foreighners will benefit as our government freely hands out work permitts to them.
Why build a dock in east end ? First of all transportation; people is going to want to go to the capital and visit the beautiful district of west bay ; it aint no shopping malls, no beautiful beaches to swim unless they go to rumpoint are sting wray city and their’s no entertainment ; what if bad wheather come you wont be able to open; the dock in town is a reminder of that it’s a waste of time and money .East End is what we call the Country Side of Cayman that has never change why do you people want to change it . Now its not fare leave us a part of Cayman that would remind us of our culture which the east enders have been doing. If young and old people of that community is fighting dont fight back take that idea and set that in south sound lets see if it would come true LEAVE EAST END ALONE. Iam not from east end but i know how it feels Im from town and you’ve seen what they done and doing to us and its not good.They even fighting for people land.
Go M.r Arden Mclean you fight cause they cant black list you.
All You Ever Hear It Will Bring In Money!!
And yet the Government is still bawling there broke.
As far as am concern every party that’s elected all they ever do is WASTE our MONEY. Think before you spend, have you ever heard spend WISELY.
Have McKeeva ever considered putting it in his back yard.
We don’t want it East End and that’s the bottom line
blah, blah… from arden ‘not in my backyard’ mclean……..
just get an independent comprehensive environmental impact assesment and let the discussion move on from there…..
without that, arden is just as bad as the developer in speaking about stuff he knows nothing about in his usual backward manner….
Congrats East Enders – keep the momentum going against this greed fueled and short-term envisioned development.
This is now the telling issue of the mindset of our elected officials.
Either or either … where do you stand?
Your answer will tell me all I need to know about you.
It is clear that the vast majority of the people DO NOT WANT this project. Therefore, if our elected officials end up supporting it we are guaranteed to see many a head roll in the near future.
All the best Cayman.
*The Eastern districts are now the most tranquil and scenic parts of the island. The day we lose sight of this most important point is the day we will lose the little left of what made Cayman unique and attractive in the first place.*
It is really that simple.
De Bushmon want it and he does not think any of the people are smart enough to know what they want. Your going to get the big hole to let in the sea period. Its money for him and his friends period. Did I mention he does not care what you think? Like taking candy from babys with no parents around.
I am in favor of moving the port out of George Town and moving the petroleum tanks out of George Town and the East End is the most logical place.
The new land fill should be placed in the East End as well.
It is time that they stepped up to help the country, they have used the dump for decades and now must provide some the their largest land mass toward the benefit of the country.
What a stupid thing to say. East Enders pay garbage fees just like everyone else and besides you probably don’t know what it is to own land and stand on your property and look over it or plan to pass it on to your children or to actually farm it or raise cattle or to look at the birds that make a home on it. East Enders don’t want their property destroyed or their district becoming what George Town has become a DUMP! People are only talking about the dock but what about the sewerage garbage, oil leakage and all of the other crap that comes with ships. it seems to me that if George Town is already screwed up we should continue to house these facilities there and not move them to the only part of the island where you can get a sense of being on an island.
this is my view shared from my 20 acres of East End land and not a 2 X 4 apartment somewhere else staring at my neighbors garbage can.
I am a 16 year old Caymanian, but even I have enough sense to know that building a dock in East End (the only place you can left of the real Cayman) is preposterous. Building that dock will destroy the beautiful view of the East End blowholes. It is unnecessary, money is starting to run Cayman now and we are being to lose grasp of our culture and heritage. We need to start thinking about how we can benefit and not what else can we destroy to benefit the tourist. Tourist come and go but we live here, it will not affect THEM in the long run it will negatively affect us!
Bless your 16 year old heart!
🙂
Hold strong to that way of thinking and try your best to influence your peers as well – you have put a smile on my face this morning.
Take care.
Can we appoint this person Premier. He/she has more sense and integrity than any one in the House.
The cargo port should be right where it is. There is a reason it is there. It has deep water right up to the dock. It was the most logical place for our forefathers who built it there. The current government isn’t smarter than they were. Let’s suppose the reduction of deficit wasn’t all smoke and mirrors. Can you imagine having a surplus? Extra money to clean this place up? Better trained police force. Higher pay = more competition with better qualified police officers trying to get a job here. We could actually have a police force with a continuous presence in places where they need to be. Let’s spend the money to fix this place with programs that hit at the roots of crime. Let’s spend the money to try and fix Cayman before we blow the money on things that are not absolutley necessary. The way most of us run our households. You see, the government thinks the money is free. Only when they are told "no" like a teenager who yet hasn’t learned the value of saving and thinking twice about a purchase (sure I WANT it but is it necessary?) will they listen to the public. Make the islands safe. Come up with a plan to deal with offenders. We will have a better tourism product. We will look more attractive to real estate investors. There is nothing wrong with saving money and spending it wisley.
Arden, this project could help the unemployed, and besides the UDP government has not voted in favor of it. It is still open for discussion!
LOL… ARDEN IS SPEAKING AS IF THE UDP MADE A DECISION ON THE PROJECT ALREADY!
The UDP as far as I know has decided on Shetty’s Hospital, has decided on Cruise Berthing facility in G.Town… What a good opportunity now when they have not made a DECISION in the LA to say they are all for this East End SeaPort suggested by Joe, the CUC owner.
Politrix… that’s what that is!
: )
Sorry to correct you but Joe is not the owner of CUC. He is on the Board of Directors along with eight other gentlemen.
Arden is smarter than you and knows that McKeeva has already made the decision. He has recently made a statement that people always oppose development but then 10 years later thank him saying it was a good thing. He is hell bent on this project even to the point of changing our Planning laws so no one can object and it will not be subject to the CPA approval. All of this talk about Imparato getting an environmental impact study is just to go through the motions. He who pays the piper calls the tune.
If we do not get rid of McKeeva as Premier soon he will totally destroy this country. Never have I seen such a combination of arrogance, ignorance, greed and malice.
N.I.M.B.Y!