Dart deal legally binding
(CNS): The deal signed between the former UDP government, the National Roads Authority and the Dart Group in December 2011 to close an almost one mile stretch of the West Bay Road is, according to officials, legally binding, despite the findings of the independent review by local consultants. Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said Thursday that the road is expected to be closed in around three to four weeks as a result of that agreement, which, according to all her advisors, is now unavoidable without running into legal contractual issues. She confirmed that the road would be closed in a matter of weeks and traffic diverted on to the new section of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway, which was likely to be gazetted within a month.
Speaking at Thursday morning’s televised Cabinet press briefing, O’Connor-Connolly said that Cabinet would be having a meeting that afternoon with Dart and they would have more news about the closure and the related developments at next week’s press briefing.
However, the premier indicated that progress was being made by Dart on both the road and the proposed new hotel on the site of the former Courtyard Marriott. She said government was proceeding in accordance with the agreement that had already been made between Dart, the NRA and government.
Speaking after the briefing to CNS, the premier confirmed that the road closure was inevitable as it was a legally binding part of the deal signed more than a year ago. It was not, as had been suggested previously, subject to the content of the review but was a stand-alone deal. She said the ministry’s technical and legal advisors had all advised that the road closure was a lawful obligation.
There is still considerable opposition to the road closure, with activists vowing to physically prevent its closure if necessary, but work has been almost completed in preparation for the permanent diversion from the West Bay Road near to Governor’s Way down to Yacht Drive.
As well as the extensive road works that appear to be almost complete, Dart has been working on the site of the former Marriott Courtyard Hotel. The developer now intends to build a new hotel at the location rather than rebuild the old structure, which officials from the company claimed had been the original intention. Dart is understood to be taking advantage of the legislative changes that now permit ten storeys in the Seven mile Beach area and also plans to have its first hotel in Cayman set further back from the beach. The decision to redesign the hotel and build from scratch is understood to be adding more than 12 months to the length of the $140 million project, pushing back the opening to 2016.
The full details of the agreement between the developer and the government are still in question and the independent review, which is expected to show whether or not government will get value for money for the land swaps and concessions involved with the project, which includes dart taking 50% of the room taxes in the new hotel, has not been revealed.
O’Connor-Connolly said that soon after the Cabinet receives the review document it will be made public.
Category: Politics
Congrates to the UDP team, McKeeva Bush, and the Dart Group. Despite the critics and character bashing of the former Premier, at least you guys are doing something for the country and creating jobs in a time the UK has prevented us from borrowing until 2016.
As a tourist, I am not thrilled with the closing of the WB road, but know that I am only down there 2 -3 weeks a year and honestly my thoughts do not matter. What does concern me is that my hotel tax goes to Dart? Am I understanding that correctly? Not to Caymanian population??? When I go to any island on holiday, I like to support the local economy. Can someone tell me exactly what are DART properties??
If we could just cut off West Bay and push it off, to drift up to Cuba, most of ourproblems would be solved. South Sound folks are really quite nice…
Everything Dart has done so far has improved Grand Cayman. Regardless of the legalities of the land swap deal, I believe the island will benenfit as a result of the improved transport infrastructure,new recreation area and facilities
Don't be fooled into thinking what has been done is for the good of Cayman. Everything they have done is for the good of Dart, period.
The development has created some interesting new spots and activities to use but these were not built as charity.
Anyone who competes with them for rental space, liquor business, retail, distribution and the list grows daily has a completely different view to your comment also.
Every time Mac gets into govt he makes some major mistake that Cayman has to pay for over the following decade or more.
This Dart deal is one of those mistakes.
Mr. Bush broke the Cohen deal, the GLF deal and the China harbour deal on their own accord for no real reason. Yet, when the Caymanian people beg and protest for the NRA deal to be broken they are ignored. The trust of the people has been abused once again by the govt. failing to prove value for money in this deal.
On May 22 please do not vote for the continued poor management of this country by Mr. Bush or any of the Foolish 5who are in Cabinet now.
waaa waaa waaa don't take away my woad waa waa waaaa it my favourite woad waaaaa
The real tragedy in my mind is that once the road is closed, they actually plan on reconnecting us to West Bay again afterwards.
Who the hell negotiated this deal? What a moron!
A well dressed, god-fearing,church-going moron, who is laughing all the way to thebank.
Somebody(s) who stands to benefit otherwise it wouldn't be so one-sided…follow the money..it will soon be appareent..
It wasn't negotiated at all. It was handed to our beloved premier for signature.
Same time tourists are getting hit by cars and seriously injured (and killed) all the time along the rest of West Bay Road!
My post in response to the story about the person who got seriously injured last night trying to cross the road by Lone Star which is most pertinent here also:
Why why why have these major problems with West Bay Road not been fixed yet!
One reasons: The apparent idiocracy which exists here has been fooled by Jackie Doak & Co. that the solution to the West Bay Road problem is to close off one tiny stretch of it!
I'd like to refer readers back to this letter by Ray Farrington on the West Bay Road problem with the most obviously sensible solution!
The proponents of closing a portion of the West Bay Road have closed their eyes to the great opportunity that the extension of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway brings. I have never been directly involved in the tourism sector of our economy but over many years I have read and heard from those involved that our tourism product needs to be improved. This ETH extension would allow a significant improvement in my opinion.
We have a development company that apparently intends to develop multiple hotel properties. It is claimed that these properties will need direct “beach frontage” to be successful.
Other persons have already pointed out that this frontage is in no way any guarantee of success, as seen by the struggles of existing hotels, that are on much, much better direct beach frontage. This company also does not wish to wait for some future government to possibly extend the ETH through their land, thereby creating even more opportunities for the developer.
(As a side note, query whether the land for the road corridor should actually cost a future government anything because often the increase in the adjacent land value will compensate for the appropriation of the corridor, making it a win-win process.)
Once the ETH extension is complete the volume of traffic on WBR will drop significantly. This is the start of the opportunity. The reduction of the maximum speed on WBR to 25mph, which has been talked about for quite some time, would be the next step and drop the traffic volume further. This would then create a zone along the entire western side of the island, where our very valuable tourism clientele can live/play/visit in a family friendly environment.
The existing WBR can gradually be converted into an “avenue” with more shade — and colour — providing flora (maybe in sections of the existing middle lane), and with pedestrian crossing zones with lights or even lower speeds in high volume areas, and traffic-calming measures to automatically enforce the maximum speed, such as bumps,
as well as cycle lanes.
This would enable our tourism visitors (has anyone really considered the situation from their perspective?) to move about from WB to GT, while visiting all of the included amenities, withoutever travelling on a fast multi-lane road where most of them are driving on the “wrong” side. Another benefit would be to have a route conducive to older resident drivers who, quite sensibly, might prefer not to deal with faster multiple lanes of traffic and roundabouts. Plus it leaves the WB/GT alternate route, which was always envisioned since SMB development began, in case of problems on the new main route.
This change of WBR use will also promote some increase of development on the east side of WBR. Potential developers would likely be more willing to invest since the guests of their properties would only have to deal with limited, slow-moving traffic for beach access, as would the hotels by the current development company.
Additional (light-controlled) pedestrian crossings could be added as incentives for new properties as needed. Local companies would also be able to offer new/more outdoor/healthy activities, such as bicycle/segway/walking tours, and the tour/water sports/taxi/bus transport companies could move around collecting customers in a smoother and safer environment.
Close your eyes and imagine some future tourists renting electric bicycles to visit the Turtle Farm or go shopping from a WBR condo/ hotel or even a cruise ship via this scenic avenue without any fear of fast moving traffic.
We are told that the ETH extension is to compensate for the WBR closure. I do not really agree with that scenario as the trade is not fair (plus additional issues brought up by others). If the closure proceeds, the country will forever have closed the door to the opportunites I have described.
Vehicular traffic will always have to use the ETH to get around this closed section and the idea of speed reduction on WBR loses its effect, especially if other developments request that same agreement. The properties on the closed section(s) will benefit greatly, but that is a selfish proposal when compared to the longer term benefits for sustaining/improving our overall tourism product.
The persons who should be heard from on this subject are the owners of the hotel/condominium/tour/water sports/restaurant/retail businesses that operate in this area. Let us hear if they consider that this closure proposal has any benefits to their existing or future product offering. What do they see happening to their business activity (in the non-closure areas) over the next 20 years if this proposal continues?
Development benefits are greatly desiredbut should not be restricted in their focus. They should be for the long term benefit of the entire country.
Post too long but I would say to the early part of it that I have never heard anyone say that closing this section of road would fix all the problems on West Bay Road. What we need to do there is lower the speed limit and put in some more pedestrian crossings like the one at the Strand. And……morons stop driving under the influence of alcohol.
im all for progress but i feel sure that we have gone to easy on them regarding value for money on this deal. surely in my opinion we could have at least gotten one or two finger peirs no strings attached in george town for the ships to dock at.Surely a drop in the bucket for his investor as we all know.if we were getting a peir or twoi would be much happier with this deal…
CNS. Any truth to the rumor that DART have applied for a licence to operate a high speed hovercraft between Cayman Kai, Camana Bay, and the Airport to ferry tourists to new hotel out at Cayman Kai, shopping/restaurants at Camana Bay, and the Airport? Is that what the new dock at Caman bay is for?
opppss .. dat leeak out some how
Who negotiated this deal on behalf of the people of these islands? Slocum?
We now have givem up 4000 feet of prime beach land for a road through a developers property who would have had to build the road anyway to develop his property. Oh and lets not forget he gets 50 percent of all of the hotel tax for as long as all of us are alive…
There so many other alternatives. What were they thinking?
"Slokey, why you tryin' do man! kill us a wha?"
How disrespectful! To call someone by name in this context.
Now unna look ya! Unna don't blame Slokey for dis. Slokey dead and gone, rest his soul. It was da fool fool boy from Bodden Town. Now I hear um say he want bring da garbage dump up ya too.. but seriously ya now..Unna really believe Slokey would be da fool fool to give way everything to DART like dat..Unna didn't know Slokey!
It’s kind of like spinning the idea of reservations to the Native Americans. Just keep stressing benefits, benefits, benefits. Sales hokum 101. This is a text book master class folks. Watch and learn.
for the poeple against this……get an official petition and send it to the governor…
but they won't do it because there is not enough support……end of story.
Real stories never have new my friend. Things just go on and on…
There is an official petition with THOUSANDS of signatures!
I believe around 3,000 – 99% of which are from Caymanians & residents.
As far as petitions go in Cayman this is huge and can be considered only indicative of the wide opposition to this.
http://centos6-httpd22-php56-mysql55.installer.magneticone.com/o_belozerov/31115drupal622/local-news/2011/12/07/thousands-sign-against-road-closure
Note: Dart did scrutinise the petition and found a few dozen duplicates or signatures of tourists etc however this is typical with petitions. So call it 2,800 – still a lot of signatures.
For the "poeple" against this? A petition to the Governor would take too much time to verify, the road will close in a couple of weeks.
Close the road already, enough is enough….the road is gone. The almighty road should have never been
Built there in the first place. My Gran tell me the road was a foot path and for horses. Then she tells
me the path went to a DUMP for all the garbage. Yes, our almighty heritage road was a DUMP ROAD, and our nice public beach was aDUMP. A few men cleaned it up many years ago and one man will
Make it better and cleaner and more as God created it again. This is what we want our children and grandchildren to enjoy. They will be proud to be Caymanian.
So did this god build all hotels, or just this particular one. I’m quite curious.
This deal is done get over it. Cayman will prosper and people who can read and write and add and subtract will prosper with them.
If you want something to protest about try education. Where in God's name was the parents of these children who can't read and write? Add and subtract? You all should be ashamed of yourselves. Get to work and teach your children so that they will be ready for their future. Stop complaining about a road.
You’re sounding a bit high handed and judgmental. Could that be the case. Maybe you should try getting over it.
17;55
I totally agree with you. It sound so immature for these people to be wasting their time on trying to put a stop to this deal that has already been done.
Instead of bitching about Dart got too much, they should now be sitting at the table with the players, planning how to get their Caymanians in gear for the job opportunities, that this well planned development will and can offer them.
I noticed not one of these people are really talking about jobs for the locals. Does this mean it is just a hate streak in them , not to worry about all our school leavers. What jobs they will want to take up when these resorts are completed.
That is what i would like to see people start doing…lobbying for opportunities. stop wasting your time on trying to kill the goose that have the eggs for your future children. jobs, jobs, jobs!
Where’d you get that idea. Is that a hitler model
Have you ever been ‘at the table with the players’. It a rather funny/sickening thing to most people. Hey, I’ll bet you’re a player, eh?
I have a few questions for you. How many Caymanians are employed at the Ritz? Remember what a "great opportunity" that was supposed to be for employment? Now that the Dart hotel is being razed and won't be built for a while, those jobs have been moved even further into the future. What solutions do you have for creating jobs NOW?
It is quite obvious this person has no long term invested interest in these Islands. We are indeed selling out our birthright for a pot of beans.
If I was Mr Bob or Kenneth Dart I would fire the whole lot of those Camana Bay Directors for leading them down this path which they will look back on as the final straw that broke the Caymanian people's trust in the Dart's. And destroyed the hard work of the last 15 years building up the trust which existed before the revelation of the For Cayman Alliance.
Bob and Ken (and Jim) – its not too late. Come back to the table, put the road close on hold, let due process run its course, release the audit of the deal, see what compromise can be reached.
e.g.
1) close the road but leave the land in government ownership (just lease it) – build the hotels but keep the current road as a pedestrian path for all.
2) dont close the road but make it a 15 mph stretch fixed up and landscapped similar to the road in front of Camana Bay – so that anyone in a rush will go the other way. Have the pedestrian crossings manned by a security/traffic officer who ensures the safety of guests crossing.
There are so many possible compromises that could be made! Yet not one compromise has so far been made.
Bob, Ken and Jim close the road. The country need these stimulus. Please start up as soon as you can…. you guys got the majority of the people behind you on this, and many more projects that you want to bring forward.
Politics! politics! thank God these werent around in the late sixties. We would still be burning horse and cow shit.
…instead of spewing it
Wow, you are on a first name basis with these three gentlemen when the rest of Cayman does not even know what they look like?????????? NO wonder you are pro this deal!!!!
They're three in number? In Georgia, Ken-Bob is usually one person.
The moaners are an insignificant minority who have no commercial importance. I love the plans and don’t care one jot about a little bit of road.
…. Or about anybody that has ‘ no commercial importance’ . Right on bro.
So you have to have commercial importance to be listened to in Cayman? Do you love the fact that we lose vehicular access to 3/4 miles of the beach? Do you love that Crown land is being given away? Do you love that hotel tax is being given away for decades"? Do you love just the positive aspects of this deal for the country or have you really looked at the whole picture?
You mean like they trusted Bush? They might not be worthy of trust themselves even if they are intitled to it. I think that the Caymanian people need to work on educating themselves a little better If they want to be taken seriously in the future. At the very least they need to have some real representation that can deal honestly and competently with the rest of the world. Everyone is holding their breath and hoping this comes true. OK not everyone. But everyone who has Cayman islands future in their prayers.
If you in your wildest dreams believe that West Bay drivers would ever go 15 mps down West Bay road then you are sadly mistaken.
That is the most farfetched solution I have ever heard. It is so dishonest to suggest that it is a possibility I leaves me speechless.
I wish you were speechless, but I don’t think you know the meaning.
I keep saying it, no country should allow such a huge investor to have too much of anything. Soon we will all work for Dart. Let us face it, he does employ Caymanians, but soon he will employ all of us. hmmm so what are we to do?? Dart Islands???
That would be a nice thing if Mr. Dart would hire us all….no unemployment! great idea
Someone should speak with some who are in the know and get a better understanding of the great expectations of the workers. The smart tricks that are played on them, if they are fool enough to sign away their rights. Not all that glitters is gold.
Slavery has been abolished but it still exist in reality.
OMG what has become of Cayman….not owned by Cayman anymore…what a mess the road is in west bay…you actually can get lost now trying to find where you are going
Dart didn't employ as many Caymanians as it might at first appear. He employed whomever he wanted and then told McKeeva to give them status.
Enough anonymous discussion on CNS.
Whens the protest?!
And if reason does not prevail before that – sign me up for bull dozer blocking.
the protest happened……it was a shambles……move on
No, you move on, tool.
there have been numerous successfull well attended rallies held over the course of the last year. however none yet in response to this announcement.
sign me up for the bull dozer driving…..
I don't understand the Mac critics. The UK has prevented the country from borrowing. Our hands are tied until 2016 or God knows when. Hence for the country to economically grow, it has to rely on investors and private-public partnerships. They complain so much here and yet Dart is doing something. It is mindblogging how politics is more important than our economy.
To be accurate, the UK has only prevented CIG from borrowing more without a believable and sustainable plan to pay off the borrowing. As an example of how poorly thought out the UDP plans were, they announced plans to raise more money, and then budgeted to raise 12 month's revenue in the remaining 9 months of the year, which was why the FCO said "sorry, you can only budget for raising 75% of the total this year". Bush's response was, predictably, that it was all some foreign plot to get him, when in reality, it was just simple arithmetic.
Most people don't object to Dart "doing something". They object to the one-sided deal that was signed with Dart by our now disgraced former premier. It seems like there was no negotiation by Big Mac to get a better deal for our country. He could have asked for the Esterley Tibbetts highway to be finished, for example.
This news is so depressing…
If it was not for the Caymanite Pink ad – I dont know what I would do…
You’d take you hand out of your pocket for one thing
this is a poor attempt by UDP to preempt the debate on the FCIA deal and continue to avoid disclosing the deal documentation.
Neither the FCIA deal or the Shetty project can comply with the FFR!
These are the only two projects underway during their administration, so they are desperate to let them go through as smoothly as possible.
Do not let up the pressure — DEMAND the documents!
I hope the voting publiic will remember the For Cayman Alliance on Election Day and vote the UDP out, making sure not one of them is returned or new ones elected. They are dobule-crossers, they have deceived the people and our only hope is that they will all end up behind bars.
They would betray Christ, yet most of them are Christians and want to call him down from above in their hypocritcal speeches. There is enough room in hell for all of us.
I don't even know where to begin!
1. A contract was signed. You think it's ok to just break deals with people you don't like? How do you think Cayman looks to the rest of the world, who invests billions here and gives Caymanians and expats alike very high-paying jobs, if you can just break contracts?
2. Dart has spent how much already on this project? Since he has lots of money, it's fine to just screw him over? That's moral to you? Or as one commenter put it, since it's going to take till 2016 to finish the hotel, lets keep the road open? Why, so he can build half the hotel and spend 100 million only to be screwed later and not have an open beach in front of his hotel?
3. What does anyone have against Dart? He's injected millions upon millions into this economy and created jobs for all kinds of people. What stood where Camana bay is before? A marsh? I see you all run to Camana bay when he's giving away free food, but then you have the audacity to call him evil the next day?
4. There should be NO Caymanians out of work. Why are there? Because you're too good to apply for physical labor jobs, jobs at restaurants, maids, housekeepers, construction, and the like. Even though you have no college degree or experience, you think you deserve the 65k a year government jobs or 100k a year hedge fund jobs even though you couldn't balance a checkbook. How do I know that there should be no unemployment? Because you've set up a system for expats that puts hudle after hurdle in front of us, and if a Caymanian so much as shows interest in a job, we get canned. So why are there all these expats working at the Ritz or at Camana Bay restaurants? Because the ones who are unemployed aren't interested in working a hard day's work for 10 dollars an hour like the Jamaican housekeepers who are the backbone of much of thiseconomy – yet you're always doing your best to kick them off the island.
5. The racism in so many of these comments is absolutely astounding. PAPER CAMANIAN? Oh, they weren’t born here, I see, so they aren't real. They don't love this country like YOU do because you were born here. According to Wolrdbank data, there was just over 8000 Caymanians here in 1960 – and lets say 80% were born here. So that's 6400 people, so that means there are 2-3 generations of living REAL Caymanians. Ok, so you'll just run this country all by yourself? You don't need anyone's help and anyone who wasn't born here is a 2nd class citizen? How much was your average annual income in the 60s? Were you driving around in Range Rovers with gas cards from the Government paid for by expats then? Also, did you know that in America, if you get a visa, work hard, and become a citizen, that you're a REAL citizen with REAL rights and REAL voting power? Nobody cares where you were born. Also, since nobody on this island was ever actually indigenous, where do you get off on calling yourself a real Caymanian?
6. Dart is going to build a fabulous public beach that will be used for generations. He's going to build a fabulous hotel that will bring tourists here who will buy from shops (that you as Caymanians all own 60% of – by the way, did you know that most of the real world doesn't work like that? In America, you can incorporate a business as a foreign citizen and keep all the profits to yourself!) and pay taxes to your government to support your tax-free lifestyle and rent cars and eat food and all the things tourists do for this economy? Oh, and since it will be a nice hotel, they will spend even more money?
7. In exchange for a small stretch of land, he's building you a highway that you couldn't afford without him. Do you enjoy sitting at the 4-way stop every day for an hour?
8. Who here thinks you don’t need the Crown? They pay for your government expenses every time you don’t make enough money. They also protect you. You going to build a navy, huh? Better make a new tax just for expats for that.
Seriously guys, you look like a bunch of idiots to the rest of the world. Keep it up, and all us evil expats will leave and you can go back to your mosquitos and straw huts.
Start here: total lack of transparency, no economic impact assessment, no environmental impact assessment, no business evaluation, no valuation of crown land and an outright refusal to give the public any insight into the mechanics or implications of the deal. Significant crown land is involved here, and if the TCI has taught us anything it is that deals involving crown property and rich developers need to be absolutely, totally transparent.
The whole deal stinks of corruption, and until it can be shown that all hands are clean, and that the deal is in the best economic, social and environmental interest of the country, it should not progress an inch further. If this does not stop right now, the UK government must intervene, by imposition of direct rule if necessary.
So do you think cayman should go ahead and have china harbor come to town?
Point 2. So if I spend a ton of money on equipment to say rob a bank, should I be allowed to rob the bank???? Cuz ya see, I invested a bunch of money in the project. I can go ahead then? Thanks.
I wish I had a hundred chances to like this comment
Hhmmnn, noticing a fairly strong tone of racism in your post too!
One didn't have to wonder if this post was written by and expat, just by the acidic tone you could taste the venom. If you are one of those who doesn't like the local people (indigenous), I am sure you shold be able to make an exit. Fair wind and stay long.
Every jack man and his master, comes to Paradise, likes it and stays, then expects to criticise the people when they stand up for their rights. Why?
Hope you enjoy sitting in traffic every time someone wants to use the new pedestrian crossing at Camana Bay.
You are critical of us that’s your choice eh, it’s also for now your choice to leave bredren. By the way world bank data is inaccurate Jah Jah children on this rock in the 60s was 3 thousand souls.
Dear Uncle Tom
1. If its more advantageous to terminate a contract than continue then most commercial minded individuals would terminate. A bad deal is something that you try to minimize your losses, Caymanians should not be afraid to make the difficult decision to terminate any bogus agreement if it makes commercial sense to do so. We are not all stupid Uncle Tom and we should not feel threatened by the consequence of terminating a contract that’s not mutually beneficial to Cayman and the other party to the contract. We cannot continue to be party to a contract that only benefits the highly paid sector of our economy, it must be a benefit to the Cayman Islands. This is an endemic problem in our society that those who are successful believe there are somehow more important than the middle and lower income sectors of our society. Well here’s the news flash in May we all get the same number of votes by district, rich people in GT don’t get 8 votes and poor people 4, we all get 6 andwe don’t need a gold card to reserve them either.
2. I don’t think anyone thinks it correct to “screw” the Darts or anyone, but don’t think for a minute that Dart won’t screw us over if he has the chance, they didn’t get rich being Mr Nice Guy, ask Greece. What about us here in Cayman it’s a lot more expensive to go to a movie than it was when the Old Cinema was open. I am sorry Uncle Tom but I have no tears to shed on behalf of the Darts. Why not negotiate with Dart a temporary delay to closing the road, what is the harm in doing that, his plan may change in a few years and he may decide it’s beneficial to keep the road open, it not like he doesn’t change his mind, the hotel is a prime example, first renovate now demo.
3. Do you believe that the Dart built Camana Bay for our benefit? It’s to make money, their intent is to move the economic capital from GT to Camana Bay. The millions invested is just as much a benefit to Mr Dart as the crumbs the Caymanians receive.
4. Their are lots of Caymanians out of work as the wages offered are below a livable level, I don’t think you will find many $10 per hour housekeeper jobs available more like $3 an hour for a house keeper and $5 to $8 for traditional jobs in construction or small businesses. Many business won’t employ Caymanians as it’s easier and cheaper to get a work permit. Make all work permits $10,000 and you will see more Caymanians employed.
5. Uncle Tom only a very small minority of those 8000 (or desendedants) drive expensive vehicle or have made a success of themselves, I think your estimate of 80% not being born in Cayman in 1960 shows how little of our history you know and truly how ignorant you are. Many of those 8000 have only modestly succeeded and their are future is under threat from the very people you claim to be our saviors. Most of those 8000 are afraid to go back to the days of 1960, we did it before we will do it again, but Uncle Tom will you “Johnny Come Lately’s” stay or will you be lining up at the Airport to leave like you did after Ivan? Uncle Tom you may try and claim Caymanians are racist but we have existed for centuries and we all have mixed blood in our veins, the whitest of the white and the blackest of the black share each other blood.
6. Uncle Tom in 1960 we had 7 miles of fabulous Public Beach, it’s only in the last 20 years that we have been forced in to one small section of SMB. This is no favor Dart is doing for Cayman, he gaining property and concessions worth millions of dollars we get a road and a beach and a few other things. The question really is it a fair exchange.
7. Uncle Tom sitting in a car going to work is a fact of life world wide, I worked in the US sometimes it took me an hour to get to work, we as Caymanians will sit in a car for an hour if we have too to get to work, in the 1960’s we rode our donkey’s into our grounds worked all day and rode them home, some of us didn’t have a donkey we had to walk. Do you think we really give a crap if we have to wait in traffic to get to our jobs, what we want to know is that we will continue to have jobs to go too and earn a livable wage.
8. Last time I checked we paid for the cost of our Governor and the UK contributed nothing financially to our economy, do we need the Crown I can’t argue against that I believe we do but let’s not make more of it than it is, UK does nothing for us, and as Tempura showed we pick up the tab for their screw up’s. As for protecting Cayman when Ivan hit the UK sent help but only after they went to Grenada who are not even a colony. But you wouldn’t know that because you we sitting offshore after your company relocated you. Who are we under threat from? Cuba, Jamacia? I don’t think so our threats are internal.
Seriously Uncle Tom we are ready too go back to the days of fire pan’s, straw hats and honest toil, are you ready to join us or buy your ticket back home?
Love you
Native Cayman Nephew
We should then sue each member of UDP (and former UDP) for their collective stupidity in RUSHING to sign this agreement and lying to the people that the review was necessary for Dart to proceed.
As for Dart I believe he well knew of the people disdain for the idea. Its only people who have no pride and loyalty to their country who support this. The question need be asked of each of them is WHAT DID YOU GET?? Cause you know how things go around here.
Did somebody say Mosquitos and straw hats!?
Yeah party!!!
Many of your comments are simply not true. Your comparison of a small island nation to the United States is irrelevant and anyway, go try open a business on a Navajo reservation competing with locals if you think the USA is so egalitarian. If you understood Caymanians you would know they care less about where you were born but more about where you intend to die.
You know it's not about a new piece of road, with Cayman's vehicle growth it's inevitable that more roads be constructed. What I don't agree with on this deal is exactly how Crown property could be exchanged without first asking the permission of the U.K Gov't and the people of Cayman is this was ok to do. The value of each part of this deal is so unbalanced it's not even funny.
Cayman is in fact getting far less out of this. I would like people who are supporting the Dart group to realise this is not about a cool new funky piece of road and resort but the giving over of precious prime property into the hands of wealthy and yes foreign entities. This is my country- I was born here, and so were as far back as my great grand-parents and I loathe to hear fellow Caymanians speak so lightly of things of this nature. If we can't stand and fight for something then we will let anything walk all over us!
oh get over yourself…you didnt choose to be born here, nor did i…it was a fluke, our parents happened to be here…..they could have been on holiday in Iraq, then we'd both be muslim waiting to meet our 72 brides or whatever it is….whereas Dart actually chose to be here (for whatever reason)……Dart isnt doing anything to harm Cayman, that would be so counter-intuitive it doesnt even need explaining……
and as to true value of the land? its worth what someone is willing to pay for it, and not a penny more…..so who was willing to buy the land? the last guy didnt do so well with it, did he?
can we just stop this constant begrudging and protesting? it would be a lot worse if dart was doing all this in another island, we'd all be complaining he wasnt doing it here!!
as to dart…..good luck to him…..i have no idea how he's making any money in anything he does here in cayman, i cannot fathom how he ever can….i dont think he cares, its almost as if the monies spent in cayman are irrelevant to him……i dont think he knows anything about hotels either (his websites dont show any that he's owned)…..but who cares? he's going to build some really nice ones and we'll all benefit form the eventual improvement to tourism, more people, more expenditure, trickle, trickle, trickle…….lets just enjoy the ride……
or do you have an alternative?
The true value of Crown land is probably priceless. No one else was offered it. Most of the criticism hinges on the unfairness of this whole deal, not just to the Caymanian people but to any other player in the game who has not been given land, concessions, etc….
What you don't seem to understand is that Dart already owns the property on both sides of the road.
So the "giving over of precious prime land" happened well before this deal, presumably by private Caymanians willing to sell up.
What Dart is getting here is literally the land under the road, which will open up their EXISTING property.
So, if I have land on both side of the road I am at liberty to, or demand that government close the road. What a sensible rant. How many times government has built roads through private properties and caused the property owner to have not one but two pieces of land. So what is your argument?
When Dart bought the property, he found the road there, which existed for over 500 years. Why are we so gullible, and the UDP so naive? Remeber, money talks and bullshit walks.
Sorry but you are not correct. Whilst Dart may own the property that the road goes through, he is also being given Crown land as part of the overall deal. That is so wrong.
You really need to read the whole deal. Whilst Dart owns where the new road goes through, he is being given three quarters of a mile of the current West Bay Road so that most of his land becomes beachfront. He is also being given additional Crown land which most people object to. That is what the "precious" comment is addressing, not the fact that Dart bought the land from Stan Thomas.
Well now we will see how serious West Bayers are, or we will see the usual, which is "more bark than bite". There has been many statements made that the West Bay Road will be closed "over my dead body" or "only when blood sheds". Well the West Bay Road will be closed within 3 weeks and my prediction is that all will go smoothly without any great opposition as it happens! Again it will be the norm from West Bayers, More Bark and NO bite!
Where is the FCO and the Governor? Is he just here to give a nod? I question the audacity of the UDP to make the decision to give away Crown land to Dart. Where does the general public figure into the equation? They have never had a publc meeting to consult with the people on this matter but went along their happy way and gave the land away.
I pray that it will be like TCI, when all was given away for $1 and belonger status, the good UK stepped in and retrieved the peoples property and money.
It isn't only West Bayers who will lose vehicular access to 3/4 of a mile of the beach. We all will. Take a drive down there on Ash Wednesday and count how many cars are parked between the south end of public beach and the new roundabout coming out of yacht club. I figure most of them don't realise that they won't be able to do that soon. They will have to park at public beach and walk to a spot on the beach. That won't be easy for people with kids or mobility issues to do.
It’s not just West Bayers brother.
11;10
You cant see the foress for the trees. you mentiond this is crown property ….yes! youre' implying this deal wasnt done by seeking permission from the UK ( the Queen)
Now tell me how do you know that this deal wasnt cut with our head of state…our Queen. After all, as you stated it is ….crown property Queen's property are the same as crown property.
Now the next question, are you a financial expert on valuating propertites? that you can make the asumption that the deal is unbalance. Can i ask you to now tell the country how you come to this conclution, and what are the advantage figures for Mr. Dart , and what are the disadvantage figures for CIG, I await to hear your reply.
Don't you think for one second, that the other 54,562 Caymanians, are welcoming this much needed infrastructure, and a deal that will stimulate our economy in these hard austeir times.
lets put our selfishnes aside and continue to enjoy the Cayman prosperity. I can remeber back in 1969 when this all started, when the majority of us couldnt afford to buy a used car.
This is not about Mr. Dart developing our country, it goes deeper than that.
To be honest, I think that this is going to be a good thing. I remember back 30-40 years ago when you could actually see the beach from West Bay Road, now the development, apartment buildings and other offices etc. cloud the view of our wonderful Seven Mile and encroach on the beach. The proposed plan for this is going to include a large grassy area with a camping site, kid's play ground, a large car park (which alleviates the cars being parked along the road – especially those people who park and visit the bars such as Calico Jack's and Tiki Beach), a dog park, and is going to extend the beach across where the road is now. I think that this construction will not only provide jobs for our country, but will also positively benefit our tourism sector. Additionally, the plans provide for watersports and equpiment rental which will bring in more money and provide more jobs in the long run. As far as I can see it – provided that the environmental impact is not going to be detrimental to our island, Dart is willing to spend the money (his own money, mind you – not the goernment's money) and is doing something positive for the island. I honestly do believe that once the traffic congestion settles down and is normalised following the construction, any additional traffic congestion due to the closure of that section of WB road will be negligable. After all, the Esterly Tibbets HIghway has multiple lanes and the total length of road that is being closed is not that large. I truly do believe that if implemented correctly, and if maintained properly this will be a good thing for the island. I am looking forward to seeing the beach line back to where it was when I was first born.
When they block our road we will blockade caymana bay by land and sea, simple……..
And you will not use Mr Darts nice new road, of course. Mind you, your government has already used $5 millon of his money and has no intention of gving it back, but what the hey.
Is "your government" only ours or yours as well?
The total length of road being closed is 3/4 of a mile. It is also one of the few remaining spots that you can actually see the beach and the ocean from West Bay Road. More importantly though, it includes several rights of way to the beach which all of us will no longer be able to access.
All Baloney!
Any "LEGAL" anygreement made between elected government officials and a private company, but WITHOUT the consent of appraval of citizens is Not a "LEGAL" agreement in any democratic country!
I'd thought that this government was going to do better, but with this agreement Dart gives him the most expensive private driveway in history (next to the one in front of his property – which he closed off to the public at will just yesterday).
It also disallows the public traditional use and access (eg picnics/bonfires/camping); andremoves the small" people who were trying to eak out a living selling coconuts and braiding hairs — all in spite of continued national protests from citizens!
But then again, his New 10-Storey Hotel woudl not allow this!!
Of course, the Bodden Town Dump move is the next stage of the Dart/Govt equation!
Shame.. I say, leave the road access alone, and allow us natives to keep our nuts on the beach!!
You are missing one fundamental point…dart ownes the beach land there. Remember three pines?? ….it’s now Plantana condos. Things change. Grow with it. Our forefathers sold this land to foreigners and now that they come to use their land you complain!….go argue with grampa Ebanks not mr dart.
hahaha u said "Id thought this government would do better, but.."
are you serious?
you had different expectations of Julianna, Rolston, CG, Mark, Dwayne – they were in UDP when the deal was done! Julianna was Minister for Roads and Deputy Premier, Rolston and Mark were also in Cabinet already!
HELLOOO!!
Unfortunately, these were duly elected government officials who got their mandate from the people. No country in the world requires or allows the citizens to "approve" every thing it does. The people's recourse comes every four years here.
Make your brooms ready for cleaning house. Cayman Islands will be a better place without the UDP. This is the worse representation that we have ever had. God give us endurance and the courage to do what is right in May 2013.
I wish your first statement was true but I am afraid it isn't.
I wish it was true too. Unfortunately, Mac with the backing of the UDP MLA's was able to sign this away without us even knowing about it. The public should see the signed contract so that they know that UDP Lite are not continuing to pull the wool over our eyes. I don't believe them any more than I did Mac.
7:46
Can you or anyone else on here please post where Mac and the UDP MLA signed any agreement for this road re-route. i wish you all would stop the BS.
Your nuts are not confined to the beach, unfortunately.
Why are you surprised that there is a contract? Do you think they have been building a highway without a contract? It's the dump that is not done. Sheesh.
So tell em – why is all the new NRA paving plant+eqpt still on the Brac after they done paved every cave there?
WHo is benefitting from the private contracts for this new West Bay road???
put the NRA paving plant+eqpt on the barge and bring her over, and also the Brackers that manage the machinery too. that's a good idea!
bet the tug costs less than the private contractor. clearly this deal could have been negotiated better.
The guy collecting Ferraris, maybe. I would start there. And that other guy with the king of the world sign in his front yard.
"The decision to redesign the hotel and build from scratch is understood to be adding more than 12 months to the length of the $140 million project, pushing back the opening to 2016."
If this is true then there is no real hurry to get the road closed now. Let's leave them both open until the reports are out and made public and the people have a chance to digest the information and ask questions. This would also give a proper legal team the opportunity to study whether or not the government is legally bound to close the road.
Having said that, we know this will not happen because Dart knows they are taking advantage of Cayman and they want it done and sealed before the extent of their actions become known.
They have to get it done before the truth comes out.
Best idea I have seen on this issue. Why close the road now? I suspect there is a BIG hurry to close it before the election.
OK, who is going to planning on Monday to find out when the 10 storey hotel option was submitted?
What a load of BS from the NIMBYs and naysayers.
The facts are: that coming out of West Bay there will be 2 lanes in each direction – instead of the one at present. Then after public beach (which will be expanded with car parking) anyone can get back onto the WB road or carry on down the current by-pass. My prediction is that after a couple of weeks use, traffic will move smoother and quicker than at present (and the road won't have to be closed after every Nor'wester because of sand and flooding)
Everywhere in the world, roads get diverted to enable progress. If you don't like Dart doing the deals, may I suggest you all find someone else to stump up the necessaary millions to keep Cayman at the forefront of tourism and the financial industry. If you don't like progres, start practicing making thatch rope and turtle crawls again.
The experts said we need two roads. The current one and and a bypass. Darts money said we only need one the bypass. Looks like money trumps experts.
Just hope that the plans for the roads are not like the maintenance of the parks.
Expecting work to be done, with minimum labour and reduced pay. The rich hoard their dollars and the poor count their pennies.
Then after public beach you can get back on West Bay Road? 3/4 of a mile after public beach you mean. It was always planned to have 2 roads in and out of West Bay, not one. If we set a precedent of allowing Dart to close the road (and own the land it is on) how can we say no to anyone else, such as Rene Hislop in South Sound?
WBR is not closed after every Nor'wester, get a grip.
So, a BAD DEAL was negotiated which will cost Cayman's people more money and assets than it is worth. AND, to break the deal/contract will ALSO COST us money – while the developer sits in his ivory tower laughing down at us, either way he wins and we lose. All thanks to Big Mac and his fries.
I knew the deal was sealed from the time I saw someone kiss Big Mac on TV. Yeeeeesh, it takes a hell of a bonus to stomach that.
I am sure it was a very large bonus. generally people do not sell out their fellow countrymen cheap.
money. I imagine this will be a big stumbling block – Judicial Review is expensive. Anyone able to contribute please contact Ms Alice Mae or one of the other organisers.
How is a deal final if terms of consideration have NOT been finalized, is it a binding contract?
If there was “value for money” in the first report, why have there been 3-4 amendments?
This ‘new’ Cabinet should be ashamed of the role they each played in negotiating this deal and approving this BS when they were Mckeeva’s muppets and now that they are 5 blind mice in purple!
Dart was not happy with the report and wanted it changed. Dart has virtually unlimited funds so he can buy the results that he wants We, the people of Cayman have no earthly idea what is in the report and most likely will not find out until after the fact. I think that borders on criminal negligence on the part of our leaders.
They can blame it on Mac if they want but if they go through with the deal the are just as guilty as he is for selling us out.
I agree with all you say except “borders on criminal negligence”. It IS criminal negligence!
Shotta, you truly can read between the lines into the high level of BS that the five hand puppets are spewing. It was very tiresome to try and listen to Mark and jackie this morning on Rooster trying to explain "exactly" what they meant and "exactly" what they were trying to say about the agreements.
YOU ARE CORRECT :- If a deal is already legally binding, why amend it?
YOU ARE CORRECT :- If consideration has not been finalised, how is it / what is binding?
Main elements of a contract are: 1) an Offer, 2) Acceptance of Offer, 3) Intention to legally bind one another, and 4) Consideration (which does not have to be fair for al parties to contract).
What is stopping us from having a Judicial Review of this matter, or a Commission of Inquiry to see who actually was responsible for this giving away of our public assets to one of the worlds richest men?
You need to get a grip. Seriously.
A. Your lack of conviction in the matter.
Thank you Dart and McKeeva. Hard work and determination amidst slander and demeaning of character. Cheers to you guys.
Traffic nightmares will just get started, dumping the flow from west bay onto the bypass that narrows to single lane at Camana Bay (witha new crosswalk light) will put this area back in a traffice choke hold. Watch and see. The bypass needs to be expanded two lanes all the way through town, with the new connector to the airport completed. The Govt "negotiators" were asleep at the wheel……or too busy making sure the contracts for fill when to the "right people"
And if an accident blocks the bypass for any reason, we're ****ed!
omg!…that means we need two roads everywhere…maybe even 3!…….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Only a matter of time
Were the government negotiating with themselves? The NRA designed the road; Dart is just paying for it.
Well, seeing as how this deal has already gone through then we should start looking on the brightside – a 12 month long, $140 million project should be creating some jobs for Caymanians on island. Dart should be forced to employ Caymanians before employing anyone else.
Yeah right – Just like the Ritz Carlton has done!!
Provided Below Minimum Wage US$ jobs for expats…
Why are you all so blinkered like Bush. Creating jobs for immediately projects does not create long term employment. Its a quick fix but its by no means permanent. Once the work is done they'll all be out of work again. What we need is more viable long term solutions. I am sick of policians fooling people into thinking the whole unemployment problem will be fixed by these temporary projects when in actual fact they just get someone a job for a few months/years until the project is over.
He will hire companies that hire 75 percent expat workers.
to 06;17
I coulldne agree with you more.
why arent these people looking at the bright side and start lobbying for the jobs to go to the locals. it proves they do not care for their own… they are only patriotic when they want to be selfish. so sad.
CNS, this article is a bit leading. You write that the deal is going through "despite" the findings of an independent review, which implies that a) you are privy to the conclusions of the review and that b) the review concludes that the deal is illegal. By the end of the article, however, you admit that the review has not yet been published, but that the Premier has agreed to do so as soon as she receives a written copy. Is it not possible that the review finds in favour of the development?
Agreed. I think this should be "regardless of the findings".
You will soon be blessing Dart NOT keke any more! TIME WILL TELL! THEM same white people will be been laughing at us all the way to the bank! !
CAYMANIAN
You are a small-minded racist, do you know that?
At least learn how to spell before posting!
I would like to second this:
Then go to court. Law suits have never stopped the current government when they wanted something against the wishes of the people. Pay off who ever you have to and get out of this deal. That's what you have always done in the past.
They probably entered into a “confidential settlement agreement” and can’t disclose the deal! Seemsto be the current strategy.
But if the Cayman government had deep pockets, they could tie the deal up in the legal system for years!!
This is really a sad day for Cayman, that the interim Government believes the agreement between Dart, Government and the NRA is legally binding and the evaluation report that will/has cost taxpayers some $300,000 is irrevelant.
Look at how this Government treats a land owner in the vicinity of Welly's cool spot you request that a road that pases through his parcel of land which no one uses or will likely to use in the future other than the owner of the parecl.
The Caymanian Compass on 23 January carried an advertisement by the NRA that they intended to close a section of which the total square fottage is 1,194 and they are forcing the landowner to $15 per square foot or CI$17,910 for the land. This as it should be transparent and the owner is paying market value for the land.
Why is this kind of transparent analysis not part of the dart deal on the West bay road closure. The same Minister who was elected to serve Caymanians by Caymanians inforces the letter of the law on Caymanians but is letting Dart of on an unproven and untested legal techicality.
What is a square foot of land along the West bay road worth $15 like the land near Welly's cool spot, not likely, more like $100 or $200 depending if it is attached to the land parcel or the beach side parcel either way the total square foot of the road dart is getting is around 150,000 if the road reserve is 30' or 250,000 if the road reserve is 50 ' or between 22.5 million and 50 million.
Yet we find our Government once again applying the double standard Caymanian poor people must pay market value while rich developers who can afford to pay get if for free and then the Government inflicts even more punishment on Caymaniand by giving away millions of dollars in government revenue to the same developer while taxing Caymanians to replace the lost funds.
Voter: I want to see the FCIA documentation, please.
UDP: the deal is legally binding. I checked. Trust me. It’s binding. (Smiles)
Soon as Dart finish writing my lines… I will read it (to learn it) and then I will show it to you.
Voter: …wtf??! U serious??
UDP: Listen ya, we live good. Deres plenty things going on that I can’t share with you but trust me- this was a good deal for Cayman. You know me, man, we go way back. Miss Birdie Sunday School class.
Voter: then just show me the deal documents! I want to read it for myself!
UDP: cant believe you going do me like this! after all dese years! You cut me deep, Shrek!
oh no!…. 150 small minded west bayers won't be very happy…..
this is a victory for enterprise and common sense…… in 2 years everybody will be raving about public beach and people won't remember thenaysayers and their nonsensical arguments…..
The haters will refuse to set foot on the new Public Beach and they'll rant about how it does nothing to help the Cayman Islands. Dart is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't with these people. What some of the politicians seem to not understand is that the haters are a loud buy minority voice, no matter what kind of fraudulent petitions or mini motorcade protests they have. I am glad that the new government is basically ignoring them. It's the first sign of real progress in almost four years.
It’s a victory for underhanded, heavyhanded, back room deals. May all of your life be filled and dictated by the same. Have a nice day, and enjoy the new Reservation.
great news … now seal the dump deal beofre the nimbys get in the way….
Have you any idea how hypocritical you are calling us NIMBY's when is you who wants it out of your own back yard and into ours? Duh?!! Dyam fool.
anybody with a brian wouls want to see the dump moved from it's current location……..
I honestly can’t wait to drive on that new piece of road, bring it on.. Thank you Mr Dart.
You are easily amused. If I had an army of people like you the world would fall at my knees.
Where, oh where, are the DETAILS of this “contract”????
Seriously now!!
By the way, I am totally in LOVE with all the traffic we Bayers are now faced with. I certainly hope that when all entrances, exits and such are open we do not have to spend 20+ minutes trying to get through the 4-way in WB!
Macdictator has done it again…..sold us out, or better yet given Cayman away, had foolio begging for money to support him only a few weeks ago because he was broke, and is now campaigning to be elected again???? Only in West Bay could someone crap in your face and stand a chance of getting reelected….all you West Bayers who put him in power before and dare to put him in power again will be sorry. It just takes longer for ignorants to feel the pain of stupidity. You say you are not ignorant? He's fooled us all once…shame on him……..fool us again……shame on West Bay.
Sad and disturbing…
No government deal should of this magnitude should ever be valid if the details of it has not been shared with the public. It is public property; crown land. How can so called representatives of the people dispose of the people's property without the agreement of the people? My mother always said that any time someone had to hide to do something, they were usually doing something wrong!
Lets just all get down on our knees and pray to the good lord almighty that the landfill part of the deal is also legally binding.
I heard the Premier say before on radio that drafts of the independent review given to Government show that it is an ok deal …. the hold up now seems to be some kind of third amendment that she talked about today. Its governments review – they paid for it – really now they should just get on and release it or at least show us what they asked the reviewers to consider.
But also if we're being practical about it all – when the road bit is closed we still have public beach, plus the new park that i saw on the news the other week, plus the already parking at tiki beach plus boardwalks along the whole closed bit … so in terms of using the beach there's no real issue, just means you walk that way instead of drive it which is much nicer anyway. where else in cayman can walk a nice walk along the beach on a path with your pushchair without some crazy drivers trying to kill you.
How about we await completion of the report before making judgement on whether it is value for money? Seems like there are a lot of experts on here commenting on something they know nothing about. Thank God this country does not have capital punishment , can you imagine the innocents killed by the lynch mob??
Wow, what a disgrace, that people can bekicked out of other Countries and come here and we let them do what they want! I have nothing else to say but we could only be the blame!
This is a joke right? Just because Ju-Ju says it is legally binding doesn’t mean a thing. She failed cayman as Minister of Works, District Admin and agriculture. She had responsibility for negotiations of the NRA steal and FCIA agreement. Caymanians have not seen the jobs these deals were supposed to provide from Dart yet it appears the deal is only binding on one side is that incompetence or deliberate?
I guess we better get used to the dump in BT because the people elected to serve us work to serve dart and all developers. The elections cyaaaaaaaaaaaanna come some enough to vote out all the wutless MLA’s who sold us out!
Thank you Ju-Ju for selling out your country and your people. If this road closure was in the Brac it would be a whole different story. When the road closes, West Bayers only have themselves to blame for blindly supporting and voting for McKeeva for all these years. He has shown you all that he has absolutely no concern for the interests or wishes of his people while he has really ever only supported his own self interests and those of the big developers with secret deals, corruption and personal wealth. West Bayers will have to live with it now for all time thanks to their despot idiot who leads them.
"This is an excellent, excellent deal for the Caymanian people. "
"Can we see the details??"
"No."
The entire UDP and UDP lite McKeeva Bush, Julianna Connolly, Rolston Anglin, Mark Scotland, Cline Glidden, Michael Adam, Elio Solomon, Dwayne Seymour, Eugene Ebanks have sold out the voters of the Cayman Islands, future generations and have lied to the country about the NRA agreement, FCIA deal and made a complete joke out of transparency, good governance and understanding what value for money represents for a country that they and the ppm have made nearly broke!
We cannot afford to re-elect anybody who negotiated or approved this deal that confirms we are now on our way to being the DaRT islands! A blind man could see that this deal was not fair and not in best interests of our people
good news! keep it coming.
I just don’t understand this? His excellency governor is this correct? I implore you and the uk government to investigate this deal. If the people of the islands do not want the road close for swamp land in return how can this be a fair deal for caymannians?
Please for the sake of future generations investigate! Stop this insanity!
I am all favour with dart plans as they will bring million of dollars to government account in long term. It is best way for private company to help government as it is happening round the world. Cayman government will NEVER able to extension the by pass as they are broke for few years ahead.
What money are they bringing to Government if they have concessions on everything????
The planned protest is a great opportunity to pave over some of the most annoying Caymanians.
It is ignorant people like you why Caymanians will no longer turn the other cheek an accept your BS and disrespect of Caymanians, our culture and way of life! The social harmony gets destroyed because freedom of speech should only apply to the select few and the well to do that believe in our benevolent dictators, apparently everybody who does not agree is an annoying Caymanian
Social harmony? Disrespect? I see a lot of this in Cayman but not from any expats. They seem to be the quiet and respectfull ones. Just sayen.
You can see that from expats in abundance reading posts on any given day on CNS.
You have clearly not attended or passed by one of the protests or have any clue about Cayman society.
If you did – you would see those who attend – Caymanian and expat alike – are those who have the best interest of the country at heart.
The attendees are dozens of the most *respected* members of our society. Not necessarily the richest or the most powerful – but the most respected.
They are not the Caymanians or expats who are here to get as much as they can out of the island at whatever costs.
Not the ones waiting around for the crumbs that Mr Dart might drop for them.
And sensible and educated enough to see (without being blinded by the pretty new public beach park that we will have) that this isa bad deal for Cayman!
Funny, but rude and asinine. Actually not even funny.
Obviously the legal costs of breaking the deal would be very much worth it!
Please Madam Premier – Stop this national disgrace before its too late!
Robbing the present and future generations of Caymanians right in front of our faces.
You missed one…past generation sold it and went to miami shopping!!
Ahhh, if you’re serious, I wouldn’t put any hope in her.
West Bay Road Coalition Please move your protest to the front steps of the LA immediately!
You all need to occuply the LA until reason prevails!
Please!
This deal is an absolute disgrace.
Well of course it is, enough money was paid to make sure it was! "Paid," if it can be referred to as nicely as that!
The governor the crowns representative is responsible for what happens to crown land.
He dumped the 4,000 signatures against the road closure on Big Mac pretending that the buck stopped with Big Mac making him responsible because most of you are stupid enough to believe that lie.
You all better take a second look at this governor, he is not all that he seems to be.
He is on the side of the rich as well and I am sure he is more interested in the Wealthy expat having his way than Caymanians signing a petition 4,000 signatures strong. He is not even interested in jobs for Caymanians in the OT he is governing!!!!! This speaks volumes about him.
The governor is responsible for thisn road closure, not the UDP, NOR THE PPM,
BUT THE GOVERNOR!
Those Brits do this in all their colonies, stir up trouble and division among the people then point the finger on the Premier or Prime Minister that refuses to be their Puppet !
GO TO THE GOVERNOR ABOUT TIS. HE HAS THE POWER TO RETRACT ANYTHING THAT IS LEGALLY BINDING.
AIN'T HE IN COURT NOW FIGHTING THE FOI COMMISSIONER ON HER LEGAL ORDER TO RELEASE MARTIN BRIDGERS REPORT??
Don;'t let Duncan Taylor fool you.
IANAL, but I think you will find that CIG has responsibility for administering Crown Lands and the Governor is as bound by contract law as anyone else – he does not have the power to set aside a contract. Only a Court has the right to make a judgement on whether a contract is properly made and binding (and even then there are limitations in what they can order).
Basically, if you want to stop this, make a lawyer happy and put your money where your mouth is.
And your view of "the Brits" is about 100 years out-of-date
My view of the Brits is not at all 100 years outdated my dear. Its being renewed daily by the reports of their stinking attitude towards the people and the territories.
"And your view of "the Brits" is about 100 years out-of-date".
Tell that to the Chagossians.
As are our muppet “leaders”
beggars can't be choosers….. where's all the great caymanian investors?
Umm. I think you missed the point that we are NOT begging but giving away more value than we are receiving. "Choosing" in this case is good negotiating.
A deal is a deal unless your in Cayman islands. Then its a joke.
Do it quick. Build the resort and move the damm dump to B /town,
I never saw anything in this news item suggesting the moving of the dump was legal. It clearly says the road closure was not the subject of the review as it was a stand-alone deal. The fact is the dump deal is not legal when you consider what and who were involved, and the process that brought it about. Lets face it, you don't particularly want to move the dump to go to BT do you? You just want it out of your back yard and in someone elses, you don't care where isn't that true? But why did you choose to live near the dump in the first place?
Funny how they never seem able to answer this question.
Yes, that was Mac's idea, do it quick so no one would notice who was getting screwed. Looks like you're not so lone after all, haranguer.
She just sealed her fate…Even Mac would have paid them off to get out of the deai.
Useless, I say , Useless!
Can't wait to see these five along with the rest of the UDP and PPM in moth balls.
I got my brrom ready…May can't come to soon…Going to Cayman Brac too!
Mac was the one who signed the deal and sealed everyones fate, what the devil are you talking about? He is the one to beCRUSIFIED by all, of course they all agreed with him so they should all go as well
Yep. Your right. The Caymanian way would be to NOT do what you signed a contract for and lose more money in court (get nothing for it) and inhance Camans reputation for inability to conduct honest business. Is useless the opposite of honorable in Caymanian now? The fact that many Caymanians are now mad at her for not doing a "Bush" on the Dart deal just shows that Bush is not Caymans only problem. Inability to be accountable on a wide scale is. This might help your own personal bottom line but hurts Cayman in every way it has to interact with the outside world. And thats the ONLY place your money and therefore you welfare comes from. Think. Learn. For your kids sake if not your own.
In the interest of transparency. Do nothing until all pertinent information, studies, and agreements are made public.
If Dart has a problem with that then we should, for sure, have a problem with Dart. They want it done NOW so it will be too late to scrutinize closely and realize how well they have come out in contrast to how proely the people have done.
If there is a disagreement then let the courts settle it.
Amen amen brothers and sisters amen. Good for you Mr. Dart , The lord has blessed you.
And Mac has blessed you too.
Can you please explain how ‘your God’ has blessed someone that doesn’t believe in god? Possibly
Amen to Dart surely you are joking. The claim that jobs are for locals may be a slight exaggeration as most of them are not born and bred Caymanians working in any of his companies – mostly PAPER STATUS which is in any part of the world where you are born is your Nationality. Unfortunately selfish folks arriving here on Island setting up their own families rather being grateful for a country that has given the individual provision has been the downfall of poor Cayman Islands.
Stop telling lies. A lot of the best and the brightest born and bred Caymanians are working for Dart. Just go to the offices and see for yourself.
Is paper status another way of saying that they can add and subtract?
You would rather they didn't take care of their families?
This government is doing exactly like Mac's. The people have not been given the details of the "independent" stydy yet they are signing away Crown land to this developer. I say they should not close it and let Dart take legal action if they must. It is tiime this government works for the people not the monied developers. All the sweet talk about breaking from the past by these five is bu&&sh*t.
What about the legal right of way for the pedestian and bycycle access over the property.
Just remember folks. When you give everything to a benevolent person or entity, they no longer have wear the shroud of benevolence. Coruption normally follows absolute power not precedes it. That is why most first world jurisdictions have antitrust laws.
By taking this stand and not challenging it the current Premier is gambling with the future of our country. Proving that she fears or worships Money more than the God she professes to.
This government didn’t sign over the land; it was already signed over.
they were government then too — collective responsibility is a b!tch !!
Done deal before final arrangements are completed. Bush you made sure it would happen AGAINSTS your (sic) own people wishes. And you running again hoping to try and get more for yourself and less for US. Don’ you have any Shame ?
Nice how Julie takes the credit for Macs work. It was all planned that way to further their careers. Well done McKeeva. Im voting for you in May.
Taking credit for Mac's work, at what? Raping and steeling from his very own people, wow, something to take credit for. We do, however, give her credit for standing right next to him while he was raping the country, and for that she should get what he should get, the door hitting him in the ass on his way out of the Legislative Assembly.
And who here really believed that Dart would heavily invest into a project that didn't have all T's crossed and I's dotted…
Really, anyone?
Yes, and if anyone has bother to look at the historical documents, the road from Foster's SMB, past Governor's Harbour to West Bay was gazetted 2 dozen years ago! Why do you thnk the entrance to Gov Harbour had an odd huge roundabout there for the past two decades? The developers there (including the Yacht Club SMB) before Stan Thomas or Dart ever had the land, had this planned.
So stop thinking this is all new. Keep your heads in the sand until it suits you to crow only shows you have not been paying attention for many years.
Feel better now after your mini rant?
Do you think Dart got into the position he is in today by being stupid and investing poorly?
Of course not.
His advisors would have never allowed him to invest in a project of this magnitude without having all his ducks in a row.
A fool he is not.
Yeah , the stupid people.
A SOLID VICTORY FOR THE UNITED DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND KENNETH DART. I wish everyone the best and I hope that the project moves forward for the good of the country. :)))
You are right. Unfortunately it is a solid LOSS for the rest of the island.
When the wealthy condo owners get a lawyer to fight this just like they did with the "new" beach at the former Victoria House site, we shall see….. They realise that the beach in front of their condos will become very crowded when the public can no longer park along almost three quarters of a mile of SMB. Whether they are north or south of this soon to be closed section of the road, it will affect them.
When Caymanians realise they can no longer park here they too will be sorry but it will be too late.
The slower, seaside, tourist friendly road option into West Bay will be lost and we will all be stuck in traffic every time someone coming out of Camana Bay onto a FORTY MILE AN HOUR road presses the pedestrian crossing button! Remember the Hyatt crossing?
Thanks UDP and UDP Lite, West Bayers will remember this on election day.
Although I am glad this deal is going ahead, I too am concerned about how we will enter into traffic at such speed. It's a shame the NRA's design didn't take this into account. Maybe they should have let Dart design the road.
O’Connor-Connolly said that soon after the Cabinet receives the review document it will be made public.
Where is the document now? With Dart?
I suppose that Juju wants to distance herself from this and say that she didn't sign or agree to it. Collective Responsibility is a b@tch, isn't it Julianna, Cline, Rolston and Mark?
Good
Ju Ju – Can we please see a copy of the written legal opinion(s) confirming the contractual obligation(s) to Dart.
I agree with SKEPTICAL, I don't believe Juju any more than I believed Mac.
Thanks Mac!
Yes, thanks Mac for screwing over your countrymen and women, nicely done, you should be so proud to have done exactly what they didn't want you to do
Yes Cayman, we are definitely "1st World" now.
This debacle reminds me of the masses that continually protest, in vain, against the expansion of runways and construction of new airports in the British countryside. Try as they may … they will eventually be put in place. To hell with your concerns about the environment and pollution … money is to be made!
Also, of the "lobby groups" in the USA that pushed and pushed against Congress until they managed to get tomato sauce officially recognized as a "vegetable" in order to safeguard the multi-billion dollar school pizzas industry in the most overweight country inthe world.
It is all about who has the money in our "modern" and "democratic" western world.
(In my opinion, that is the height of corruption.)
Unfortunately, it has finally arrived here in the Cayman Islands, and it seems as if it is here to stay.
What do you mean “finally”? Cayman has always been corrupt. It’s a national pastime, like “immigration”.
The whole world is corrupt, my friend.
Oddly enough, the countries that have appointed themselves as the global police in regards to corruption are actually the worst of all.
They just call it by another name … and legitimize it.
Simple fact.
Good work if you can get it though.
Here's the rub though. They police your country because your populace has chosen to continue to be policed. It is your decision to make any time. It seems that the majority of Caymanians believe they are better off as a dependent territory of the UK than they would otherwise be. Is it their intelligence you discount, or their right to choose for themselves?
Those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it. Google Mr. Dart's history.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that if something just happens to provide a benefit for the few, that it is a benefit for most. Dart takes care of Dart, and our government — the former Premier, in particular –has helped him disatvantage us, the people.
We are selling our future for a pittance, and there are vultures more than willing to pay the pittance, because they can. Will you children ask you if you remember the defining moments in which you sold us out by your absence of protest?
Nothing like cabbage rolls with tomato sauce atop!
MI favourite!
Precisely which ‘New Airport” has been built in the British Countryside in the last 40 years sir?
Oops sorry musn’t ask you to let the facts get in the way of a good old fashioned rant!
He's already gonna be taking 50% of room tax and all that land? NOOOOO. this deal was totally not worth it nor for the people. if it didn't benefit DART more in the long run why would he even bother to do this!!
In the NRA deal Dart is giving up 10 times more land than he is getting. Road is only 40 feet x 4000 feet or 3.75 acres. The new public park at beach is 6 acres, the new beach is 2 acres and the new road corridor is around 10-15 acres. Get your facts correct.
Get used to not getting your intitlement tax out of every deal you make. Third world days and deals went out the same door as ex premeir (for life) Bush. Welcome to the new Cayman where the word "honorable" will once again have meaning.
Since when has the former and/or current Premier ever been concerned about acting within the Law? Each and every one of you in the House is equally guilty of running this country into the ground, either by your actions or your failure to act.
You are each a disgrace to this country and its people. Caymanians USED to be hard-working people, with moral and ethics. Now, because of the Government 'buying' votes, we have a generation of Caymanians that believe that the world owes them something (without having to work for it), that they are being discriminated against by the 'foreigner', and they are the victims.
You fail to realize that in the grand scheme of things, Cayman is a very very very small fish, in a very very very big fishpond. Caymanians are their own worst enemy.
And yes, I am a Caymanian. A Caymanian, who lives very well, but also works very hard for what I have.
Good riddance to the whole lot of you.
Then go to court. Law suits have never stopped the current government when they wanted something against the wishes of the people. Pay off who ever you have to and get out of this deal. That's what you have always done in the past.
Unfortunately, Julie does not have the cajones or the will power….and she knows that McKeeva will go for the jugler if she goes against him…Carry on the puppetry. May 22, hurry come!