West Bay Road dug up
(CNS): Activists who have spent the last 18 months trying to prevent the closure of the West Bay Road watched the highway that they have fought hard to protect disappear on Monday as workmen began tearing up the road surface. After closing the West Bay Road to through traffic, with no prior warning, contractors employed by Dart Realty Cayman Ltd, immediately began work removing the road surface to begin the enhancement of the public beach facilities. The developer is also working on the slip roads that will drive traffic from the West Bay Road on to the new Esterley Tibbetts Highway at the junction of yacht drive. The NRA and government have remained silent on the situation.
Currently, the entire stretch of the West Bay Road from Yacht Drive in the north to Governor’s Square in the south is closed to traffic except for access. Although the NRA is the legal authority which manages roads in the Cayman Islands, there has been no notice from the agency on the road’s closure.
In addition, despite two legal actions filed in the Grand Court, the public remains in the dark about the full details of the Dart deal with government, which includes the closure of the road, land swaps and major concessions. Dart is moving full steam ahead with plans that will result in creating some 4000 feet of new beach front property forthe developer to add to his burgeoning land portfolio in Cayman.
Campaigners opposing the closure of the road, which they say has been in use as a byway for more than 100 years, believe that the process by which the road has been closed and given to Dart is unlawful as it is crown land and they are hoping that if the governor will not stop the agreement, the courts will.
In December 2011 the former premier, McKeeva Bush, the NRA and Dart came to a deal in which the developer agreed to foot the bill to complete the Easterly Tibbetts Highway extension into the heart of West Bay. He also committed to revamping the Seven Mile Public Beach and giving government land for an additional public beach in exchange for the closure of the West Bay Road and the vesting of that land to Dart to create a beachfront resort on the site of the former Courtyard Marriott and to turn more of Dart’s property along the road into beachfront in preparation for future development.
The developer has also been given a wide range of concessions for continued development in the area and at Camana Bay, including a 50% cut on all accommodation taxes on any property owned by the group on existing room stock and any new tourism development that the firm constructs over the next three decades.
The details of the deal, however, have remained secret, with only early drafts of the agreement having been leaked into the public domain. The independent review of the deal undertaken by local consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers is also still secret, despite persistent commitments by the current minority government that it will be made public.
Ministers said earlier this month that government was still negotiating for changes, including where the extra public beach will go, and were asking Dart to widen the original strip of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway along the Harquail by-pass, from the Butterfield roundabout in George Town to the Camana Bay roundabout by the Lawrence boulevard junction.
As a result of numerous issues, not least the process by which it has been carried out, the deal continues to generate considerable controversy and has become a political hot-potato. While the UDP and the new minority Cabinet are all committed to the deal, the independents are offering a mixed stance on the situation. The PPM remains the only political group that has confirmed that its policy is to do what it can to keep the West Bay Road as a through route and keep it open to traffic.
With the election nine weeks away, it appears that the Dart machinery is working to try and present a ‘fait accompli’, at least where the road is concerned, directly in front of the public beach and the former Courtyard Marriott site.
If the Progressives take the helm of the next government, the developer will have already created the enhanced public beach and begun work to create the proposed new beachfront resort, making the re-opening of the gazetted closed stretch of the West Bay road a difficult proposition for the new administration.
Category: Local News
I took a drive from Governors Square to the block off at public beach there was one car driving the other way, beautiful , I am thinking Drag Strip!
11.43 anonymous you named quite a few business owners in your comments and I glad you did for everyone you named are all Caymanians who fore fathers and mothers worked damn hard to make cayman what it is and for that I’m grateful and happy to see my people excel. However when you have big and wealthy paper Caymanians doing what the heck they want with shady politicians, that’s when I have to voice my opinion. Thank God for the Vassell Johnson’s the kirkconnells the fosters these were men of integrity, honor and could not be bought and every deal was in the open. They certainly didn’t do things that made their people and families feel as if they just robbed their country and the people!
If the for alliance is so great for cayman fess up and let us see the deal?
God save our country!
The "theft" of the road is only a small part of this story. The real "coup" is that we are now in essence, paying Dart out of our (Cayman Islands) hotel tax receipts. Unbelievable.
Onename comes to mind Jak Civre, one country Turks and Caicos – crown lands. Go google it, HM is a master chess player. Check mate, game over! Jak Civre paid millions in fines and Mr. Misick is still in self imposed exlile from TCI. All that I have to say at this juncture is Rule Britinnia, Rule!
and he wouldn,t have it any other way.
and driving on his shiny new road
Why is it that noone is worried about that ten story monstrosity on seven mile beach? Could it be because it's not dart builing that one?! That it quite possibly the ugliest thing I have ever seen, why would you put a building that size on the beach front?!
Because Mac had the planning law changed to facilitate the added height. He would fold for any monied developer.
Why? Because a) the price you pay for the land meas the higher you build the more you get back and b) because your elected former premier revised the law so they could. Doh! Try reading the committee of enquiry transcipts from TCI, where exactly the same thing happened.
As a person having both Caymanian blood and American Indian blood in me, I am greatly interested in the histories and ongoing events of both peoples. What is happening in Cayman today is very much like what happened to the native Plains indians back in the 1800's; Caymanians are now a minority; even with non-Caymanian supporters the numbers are simply not enough to stand up to the amount of people coming in and taking over your lands and pushing you out, and if those were to fail there would be thousands more just like them to replace them. It's a sad, sad time for the Cayman Islands. The native heritage is dying, it is almost no more; we can lament this all we like and it will never be the way it was. Growing up I always felt such sadness about what happened to the American Indians on their own lands, how their ways were decimated, their people broken and scattered. The same thing is happening for Cayman, the sad part is though, it has been your own leaders selling your lands and heritage piece by piece; even the native Americans chiefs had the sense to fight back against those trying to tear their tribes apart…not so in Cayman, it's the very leaders you voted for and looked up to that are doing this to Cayman. I have said before and will say again, had it not been for sale in the first place it could never have been bought. Dart, and others like him know a money-making opportunity when they see it. That's why they're so rich. The "leaders" of Cayman are laughing-stocks to people like Dart, who sit around their luxurious boardrooms at the end of the day, slapping one another's backs and saying: "What a bunch of idiots! They don't even realize the value of that land I just bought for pennies!" Say goodbye to Caymanian life, if not yet, give it one more generation…so sad that it could not just have stayed "The Islands That Time Forgot".
Geronimo Ebanks! Good to have you back, cuz!
It's as bad as you say, if not worse – at least the Indians had somwehere to pitch their tents over Easter.
For the record I have both Scotch and Irish in my blood (including sometimes when I'm writing here).
Unlike the Indians in the US, the Caymanian people sold thier land to the highest bidder..So there is no comparison…
@ Last of the Sea Urchin’s on Wed, 03/20/2013 – 20:16
Correction!! It shows that a bunch of hooligans with signs that have hatred towards the Dart Corporation are not the ones in charge. Thankfully so.
It is obvious that this "bunch" has a lot of free time on hand that they could use to help assist the poor, walk a dog (don't leave it only to Caucasian expats), Kids that need a big brother/sister, Meals on Wheels…. (Anyway, you get my point).
Some of us, amm…a lot of us! Welcome the Dart Corporation enhancement of the country's infrastructure as necessary and beneficial to Cayman. We also, realized that a lot of the wealthy Companies that have reaped much over years of successful trade in the Cayman Islands will go as far as having their manager’s photo placed in the newspaper when they GENEROUSLY donate $1,000 to some charity. We hear this comment all the time “Dart is taking over, and the government need to do stop him”. Well, maybe yes, maybe no. What to do then?
Perhaps, we can try to have “anti-trust like legislation” to curve/correct this perceived trend. However, the spotlight will be shown on some of our homegrown merchants as well. We don’t want a double standard do we? Ahh..yes we do?
Consider this (I am conceding the following is an estimation):
Foster's Group: 5 Supermarkets and 2 major Wholesale Outlets (and, by extension probably represents over 50% of all food imports that arrive on our shores)
Jacques Scott & Company: Largest alcoholic beverage distributors (for many years represented over 50% of this market share locally) currently represents 50% of market share.
Kirk Group: Jewelry Stores, Hardware Stores, Marine Store, Supermarket, Wholesale distribution. Surely, I have missed something out. My estimation of market share: “A LOT”
Bodden Group (not sure of their Company’s trading name) . Monopoly on, the tendering to the cruise ships (this is a big one), Propane Gas, The watersports industry….on, and on.
Witches don’t exist. Stop the witch hunt!
may I ask where you are from originally?
Born @ GT Hospital.
You didnt mention all the good the local, born Caymanian owned oligopolies do for the island. The parks they have built, the scholarships, the redevelopment, … wait, oh, ok. The only reason Dart does any of that stuff is to try and show them up , right, because he's not really from here, so lets just keep throwing the rocks.
Good point Diogenes! Thanks for pointing that out.
Naming the Caymanians who have been successful and comparing them to Dart is sheer stupidity. The Kirkconnells, Fosters, Boddens and other families invested in Cayman when it was a tiny map dot that very few had ever heard of. They built the country with their investments, because it was their homeland. Now comes an investor with nothing but self interest to take what he does not deserve. This is why he has no respect for things Caymanian and the traditions/landmarks that Caymanians hold dear. He should have built his monstrosity and enlarged his empire somewhere else and left Cayman alone. Think about it, he made his money on cheap throw aways, does he really want to build something of value that will last?!
The premier and the NRA couldn't close the road because of the protesters/election, and they couldn't leave the road open because of the legally binding agreement to close it. With this move by Dart their problems have gone away and they are free to act like they were against it. I'm willing to bet Dart got an unofficial green light to move ahead with this. The premier probably loaned them her paving equipment.
Man oh man, what have we done to ourselves Cayman? But we deserve it. You know why? Too much greed exsist here now. I looked at some old photos on Facebook the other day entitled Cayman Remembered. It was the most beautiful thing to see. As tears came to my eyes, i looked back at what cayman was and in particularly what west bay was, beautiful! Now what we see are gravalicious strangers telling us what to do. Where to go. WTH?? We are being held hostage by greed. Even some of our own “new money” Caymanians are falling victim to the love of it too! Sad sad sad. We were not raised like that. Even the wealthiest yesteryear Caymanians didnt fall for crap like this! But who is he to control so much? And please can someone tell us what this man even looks like? I feel like am in a Oz movie on a black top road and he’s the wizard hiding behind a curtain! Very weird.
But like I say, this is one hell of a wake up call for us as to who really runs Grand Camana Island, isn’t it? Start expecting tolls people. This man getting his money back somehow. This wasn’t no gift to the people I guarantee you that! This will become a mecca for the rich only and we will be slapped with exuberant fees in order to flush out the middle class and the lesser who can’t afford it. Candidates need to start exposing this issue ASAP if we are going to maintain our status as Caymanians. If not, checkmate people. Done. And we can just kiss goodbye to anymore need for elections, as am sure by then Grand Camana island is going to have its own sovereignty here. I give this 3 years to become a horrible reality.
'Slight' overreaction……just sayin…
He is no Wizard, he is just a man with a lot of money. Who happens to make very smart business decisions. He will recover his money over the next few decades through concessions, keep the BS about tolls in never never land where it should be. As far as being held hostage by greed, yep you are victims of Greed, but unfortunately it was the greed and shortsightedness of yourselves and your forefathers who didn’t see the potential of the land they had and sold it to the highest bidder. As far as gifts to the people, nowhere did Dart Inc ever say the this was a gift to the people, again I say that Dart is in the business of making money through smart investments and destroying Caymans appeal would ruin one of if not his biggest investment yet, so you can at least feel comfortable that he is in it to see Cayman succeed or else he will lose plenty.. I personally have more faith in him bringing Cayman around than I do in our own government, they are too busy fighting and playing king of the hill.
So my hat goes off to Dart, I say do what it takes to fix this sinking ship take the reigns, noone else seems to be..
Let's get this straight. He creates jobs. He does what he says he's going to do. He does it legally. He invests in the infrastructure and contributes to the economy. He creates something that will be attractive to tourists. Can you same the same about any politician in the past decade? Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!
legally?
How many CAYMANIANS does Dart employee?
Very few.
Yes I would like to know what Ken Dart looks like, any pictures anyone? Can not find any on the web, not even a hint. What does this man hide from? He is buying up the island and businesses and never a word except perhaps from jackie doak or mark van de velde. Truly a dark time in Caymans history, sold out by a corrupt politician to a strange man.
very good questions
I hope you also remembered the smoke pots to keep mosquitoes from eating us, the fact that your mother did not know what she was going to get to feed you that day and the treks in the land to dig up some cassava or find a banana. It was not all rosy back then. I look at the pictures and remember both sides. I’m glad that those times are now just in pictures and not in reality. Stop bickering and give thanks.
The road is still there, Mr.Dart. You think some tarmac matters? You don't understand what it is you're fooling around with here, my friend.
Yeah? What areyou gonna do? Drive your car down the beach? Don't be ridiculous.
Who exactly do you think you are? Dart has unlimited resources in literally anything, he would crush you like a bug, bobo.
like a bug huh! I guess that is what we are to him! stupid little bugs! Well as the legend sang "I have a small axe…"
I mean, he's made it pretty obvious that he doesn't need the approval or agreement of Caymanians to do what he needs to do, so yeah, I'm sure that the people of the island don't really register on his radar.
Ignorance is bliss!
Ohhhh, another big bad Caymanian… Hasn't Dart already showed you what he thinks of our protests and attempts at preventing this beach from going through. He has made it perfectly clear that he's the race horse of this situation, and people standing in his way are just the flies buzzing around his stable. He has the means, opportunities and support from our obviously silent government to essentially do what pleases him while building his empire on island; so I think the person who doesnt understand what they're fooling around with is you, my friend.
Life here is not guaranteed. One is here today and gone tomorrow so don't get too arrogant.
…but we all know what you're playing with.
Yeh Tony, you da Godfather? Noticed lately that many comments appearing with veiled threats and stupid promises…and as usual people writing them have no balls to do anything about it. Muppet.
God is good. He works in mysterious ways.
Amen!!
What does God have to do with this road (which is no longer a road, as it was de-gazetted) being dug up?
Obviously it was God's will. He is omnipotent.
So sad we dont have representatives with balls! I feel ashamedto be a Caymanian. Dont me favor fellow voter, let's wipe the slate clean come May 2013
I guess this shows the people who is really in charge. Not the people, not the government, not the governor, not the courts and not even England! God save our country.
Yep – it shows exactly who is to blame: the people that elected the current government and the former Premier who cut the deal! Again – the people who were democratically electedby Caymanian voters. Sometimes you get what you wish for – no point blaming the Governor or the Courts or England – blame every voter that put these scoundrels in office.
Looks to me that it was “dug up” in order to be resurfaced!!
First he took over the politicians,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a politician.
Then he took over the lands,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a landowner.
Then he took over for the merchants,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a business owner.
Then he took over the distributors,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a distributor.
Then he took over for the utilities,
and I didn't speak out because I didn’t own the utilities.
Then he took over for road,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn’t a West Bayer.
When he took over the island,
and there was no one left to speak for me.
The only solution is the establishment of Antitrust Laws in Cayman. Please ask your candidates whether they will establish these when they get elected.
These type of campaigns are usually initiated by business owners who feel threatened by a rising monopoly. Most business owners in Cayman are hopping Dart buys them out..
If we do anything it will not be "antitrust", it will be "competiton". Why does everything have to be Americanised?
Antitrust Laws help the old established few who have run virtual monopolies for years to safe guard themselves against competition.
Do you think CUC would charge what they do if we had several power companies selling power – No.
Look at LIME and Digicel, classic example.
The then C&W had a monoply we had to pay for income AND outgoing calls on our cellphones!!!!!!!!! In comes Digicel, more competitive and offering lower prices. What happens C&W has to compete – Guess what WE WIN.
Don;t fool yourself. Antitrust laws = monopolies and status quo.
I vote to open up the market to a Free Market Economy. We will all win.
OK… I'll bite. Just how are anti-trust laws going to help this situation? (hint: you'd better read up on anti-trust laws before you try to answer this).
Sounds like the only person to blame in your poem is you, because at every point you stood back and let it happen because it didnt concern you. You just perfectly described what is wrong with Cayman today – no one wants to get their hands dirty if it's not going to benefit them, or their business in some way. We have to stand up collectively, as one people to defend our country and our fellow countrymen when we are taken advantage of. The attitude you have of "not saying anything because you weren't directly affected" is a selfish one, and it is something you will pay for in the end.
How misguided you are.
Open your eyes and see that in Cayman from the very begining there have been family monopolies and corporate monopolies that have excluded competition. The result is we all pay more than we should.
When there is no competition there is no reason to improve things, make them better, or lower the prices. No, we stay firmly rooted in the 1970's.
Then comes along a business man who has modern business knowledge and sees that we the consumer could be better served. He looks at the businesss that are poorly managed and run by owners who have no real business skill. They want out – they don't want to have to compete because they can't. They know that in a fair and competitive environment they would be out sold, out marketed and out paced. So they sell.
Every business opportunity poses risks and rewards. If he can turn it around and make a profit good on him. Don't forget COMPETITION LOWERS PRICES AND RAISES STANDARDS !!
Monopolies don't lower prices.And you understand nothing if you think that this is all about making a profit. If it was, then be assured Mr Dart would not be wasting his time in Cayman.
This was never about profits. This is Mr Darts naked ambition to build a monopoly and control an island in the caribbean. Any island would have done but this one was buyable.
What competition? Dart owns everything!
Have you looked at Bernard Passman lately? The Landmark? Where did those stores go?
This poem should start like this:
First I wanted money, so I sold my land.
You're many years too late.
I once dated a lady who told me that she had come to Grand Cayman with her (now) ex-husband to consider developing some real estate.
They met with a well known, now deceased, politician.
He assured them that to get their plans approved they would need to employ a local consultant, one of his companies. Cost about $50,000.
They left the meeting and never came back, having decided they would not pay bribes to corrupt politicians.
your quote is somewhat out of order – is anyone seriously suggesting that Ken Dart is Hitler? You are free to protest without consequence – if you do not bother to do so, its your decision, not one based on being sent to a concentration camp. If you dislike him that much, get out on the street and protest instead of whining on a blog. Do not see a hell of a lot of people lined up on the road to protest. Try doing something before you compare yourself to Mttin Niemoller, a real activist.
Making west bay even more beautiful , thanks dart it’s appreciated by most no one ever pleases all.
Who would have thought this would only be the second best thing that happened today?
Can't wait for the road to finish… wat a sweet ride to WB
But the construction site makes such a great interview location for aspiring politicians to get there sound bytes in to the voting public.
They may not have any idea how to run the country or solve any problems but they can talk road and dump all day long.
To all you "pro development" people! "HERE iS A PREDICTION". In ten years unscrupulous developers will have driven any and every business [which they deem as competition] out of business. And unless you are an essential part of said groups you will be beholding to them and them only, because by then they will have been in complete control of this Island. How will they do this you may ask? Very easily, because in my opinion they already control many in the present government, and as they say "MONEY" talks.
"EVERY SLAVE HAS A JOB".
Yep, No one will be unemployed. Even those lazy bums will have to work (good change). All slaves work.
Dart is in a hurry to take our road, but remember this Mr. Dart….He who taketh will in turn be taken. Your greed will be swallowed by a bigger vulture. For the love of money! What you should do is try driving to West Bay from 7:30 am – 9:00am and again from 4:30pm – 7:00pm… Start your journey from the West Bay Town Hall…just you try it!! then tell us how it feels. I am so disgusted with this whole deal/steal, that I don't even drive by Camana Bay and I will boycott your entities, as much as I can. All you that is agreeing with this deal/steal, you all should try that same suggested journey given to Dart. Your heart first needsto be with the Country, in the Country and with the Country people…..NOT JUST THE COUNTRIES MONEY!!!!
Helloooo, I have driven to West bay plenty times from 7-9 and 4-7 down west bay road before this and it ihas always been a nightmare..
It would be an interesting exercise to compare how long it takes to get from the four way stop to the Butterfield roundabout
1) now
2) in a few weeks time, when the additional roadworks connecting the ETH and West Bay road to the new extemsion are completed, and the signle lane bottleneck is opened up
3) the journey time in 2006
4) once the additional extension to Willie Farrington is finished.
Think you would find even the results of comparing 1 and 4 rather interesting.
Good for you stay away from Camana Bay, boycott it…And stay away from the new Public Beach as well.. We don't need the negative vibe anyway..
Bloody Idiot !!
It's like saying to your Doctor – I hate you and I will do everything I can you damage you and your reputation becuse you gave me these nasty tasting pills that I have to take to cure my illness.
Just a few years ago we all sat in traffic from WB to GT. I used to take me 45 minutes to get to work. Now it takes 15 minutes. A few days of inconvenience whilst then finish joining the roads and you will see how much safer and quicker it is.
The traffic delays are TEMPORARY, please stop commenting on how bad traffic is right now and wait until the new road and tie-ins are finished before judging the full result.
Ken, dude, you could have waited till the new road was finished before digging up the old one. Just sayin.
Which I why I love Camana Bay. I like it that the miserable are boycotting it.
UDP Lite Government silent, NRA silent, Dart announces when they are closing the road. It couldn't be more obvious who is in charge of our infrastructure. Thanks UDP, UDP Lite and, most of all McKeeva Bush. We will remember this on May 22nd.
PROGRESS!
Another fine job by Dart and partners.
I am a West Bayer and looking forward to the completion of the entire road into Batabano Rd and Rev. Blackman Rd like many others also are.
Can’t wait for the completion of the new Public Beach expansion and facilities.
As for the Hotel it’s bound to be amazing based on the rhetoric and expressed reasoning’s.
JOB creation is part of the results, although currently small in numbers. Good job to the crews on the road, the public beach and the demolition crew at the hotel.
You’re missing the point!
The bypass was always going to be built, it was planned and approved some 15 years age, long before Dart.
The issue is you now still only have one road. What happens when a fatal accident occurs on a roundabout and all lanes are blocked?
Two roads are always better than one.
With a new bypass in place WB road could have been developed properly along with top rated hotels and beach front cabana style restaurants (leased on crown land) it could have been beautiful.
At the end of the day we lost WB road so that Dart's X Million worth of land became XXX Million worth of land.
What Dart builds will be amazing, it just didn’t need to be done this way.
Yes it was *planned* years ago. Plans require money, and that's what Dart brought to the table.
Just like the port, dump upgrades etc ave been *talked* about for years. Unless someone ponies up wth cash nothing gets done in a small economy.
There is a reason that 15 years have passed before the road was built! It "was aways going to be built" – yeah, right, with the current budget issues, maybe your grandchildren might have seen it if Dart hadn't built it. Or the tooth fairy, right.
When will Cline or Mark..even Ms Premier speak…You can kepp quiet and hide now but hat happens when you decide you want to run again..
CG I don't know about you but I got one good tamarind switch in BT for Mark. we not only using brooms this year!!
Now if only they can dig a trench from SMB to North Sound, WB can declare independence and "elect" Keke as Herr Diktater for life, and everyone gets what they want (after the Great Wall of Cayman goes up of course).
Helloooooooo?
Anyone else notice the elevated "bridge" on the new WB bypass? People, the boat channel to SMB is being dug from the North Sound to SMB.
Shame is the tidal water and backflow will require dikes. Wait until you see the finished project in 5 years.
CNS, please get the plans from the CPA. Surely this must be FOI.
you mean that god-like man didnt build the bridge to protect the wetlands?!!!WTF?
Don’t be stupid. There is no canal from north sound to seven mile beach. Silly rumor.
I guess you think you will then get the job of negotiating with DART!
'Force majeure'. It's how many developer's have learned to operate in Cayman, because it always works: get it done, then argue at leisure afterwards, it's so much easier that way. I had always thought better of Dart. He is usually more sensitive to the sentiments of the people. Is this the first real sign of the tail of the Dart organization wagging the dog of Government? It looks that way to me.
That piece of road was de-gazetted last Wednesday. It was in the paper. It's not a "road" anymore. This article could as well be titled "Public Beach Expansion Begins."
What fools. Why was this road closed and destroyed before Dart finished building the connecting road to the By-Pass?
Seems they are digging up more than the portion that was degazetted. Am I right? If so, who is in charge
of this island!
No – you are wrong.
Never seen so many thumbs in any direction show up so fast! It’s like machines are doing the work for us. It’s a great day for humanity.
The road is history. Long live the new project!
The Cayman Islands belongs to Her Majesty not the government or anyone else. God save our gracious Queen long live our noble Queen, long to reign over us ! God save the Queen. Just read what has happened in TCI and what the UK did when she wanted her crown property back, absolutely no mortal person in the Cayman Islands is above the Queen. When she speaks, you will listen like it or not, this road closure is not done, the Lady has not assented as yet. We will see ultimate power shortly, not to worry Cayman is still controlled by a higher authority. Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth does not need re-election or status by grant or other wise this ya land belongs to her from sea to shining sea and one should never forget it.
It is as if the Magna Carta and the Civil War never happened . . .
Well, some people here are still working off the Old Testament, so Magna Carta is a bit of a stretch. You need to deal with this in thousand year increments.
Does she also own the Dump ? If so she must be so proud of it…
Sounds vaguely familiar. A convoluted play on "The king is dead. Long live the king", perhaps. Only thing is, the new king eventually is no more. And some things in history just keep coming back, like pre-Stalinist city and road names, for example.
“…The developer has also been given a wide range of concessions for continued development in the area and at Camana Bay, including a50% cut on all accommodation taxes on any property owned by the group on existing room stock and any new tourism development that the firm constructs over the next three decades. …” – and don’t forget that the developer will also be getting 100% concessions on import duties!! Just think how much that kind of reduction in import duties would help to revive significantly less wealthy local Caymanian businesses currently struggling to survive – but like the donkey say, this world nah level!
Are any of those businesses looking to sink 1 Billion dollars into the Cayman Economy..?
Does that accomodation tax allowance also include the "Condo at The Ritz" or does that receive any additional special concessions?
An Outsider looking In.
The PPM knows full well that they would not be able to reopen this road because the land is now legally Darts Property they also know that they if elected will also support this whole deal because given the current financial situation Cayman has gotten itself into they do not have much of a choice. They may be able to somehow stop the dump move and put an end to the remaining parts of the deal but the West Bay road thing is a wrap.
If the Country’s new leader decides to renig on this deal and claim that Dart has no right to the West Bay Road land here is what will happen in short. Dart will sue the Cayman Island Government at great legal cost to Cayman for breach of contract and win at which point they will have two choices, relinquish the land he was promised or pay him back for every penny he spent on building the new road as well as the cost of the land it is built on which is something Cayman cannot afford. If they back out of the dump deal, dart will simply walk away and Cayman will be stuck with a dump that will continue to grow and leach into the North Sound because they have no money to fix nor can they borrow the money and contrary to what some mislead people believe no one is going to do it for free. So eventually they will back in Darts office asking for the same deal which may require them giving up more at that time.
The root of this issue is that fact that Cayman has spent itself so far into the whole that they cannot dig themselves out on their own. Caymans politicians, Governor as well as the UK realize this and they are not trying to bail Cayman out so don’t expect any support from them to stop this Dart deal, first of all it is nothing illegal about it and the UK is not trying to bail Cayman out or let them get deeper in debt, they actually may feel better about Dart controlling so much because it will stabilize a good part economy and all they will have to do if force the CIG to control its spending.
People like to look at Dart like he is some kind of devil or thief, but the fact is he is not a savior or philanthropist, he is a businessman that controls a company that it itself it larger than Cayman and he’s a good one at that who specializes in stepping in and saving people who screwed themselves and this does not come free. He has invested heavily in his Cayman Islands product and obviously has a special place in his heart for it. He sat back for years while the leaders of Cayman bungled the country’s finances and ignored the actual necessities all the while digging themselves deeper and deeper into debt. This is what has created the opportunity for him to get more of what he wants and increase his Cayman Islands holdings.
People like to blame only the current leaders for this, but the fact remains that is took way more than the last four years for Cayman to find itself in such a state. The foolish choices, bad financial decisions and infighting that eventually lead up to this has been going on for generations and doesn’t seem likely to stop anytime soon because not just the leaders but the Caymanian people as a whole cannot seem to get along or agree on anything and the leaders of Cayman instigate this asa tactic to get into their high paying jobs. So as long as this is the climate in Cayman I am sure Dart will continue to grow and traditional Cayman the existed in yesteryear will eventually become a memory. A lot of people joke about Cayman becoming the Dart Islands, While I do not think it will ever get renamed to something like DartLand, I can almost predict that the future of Cayman is one where dart is the majority shareholder. My hat goes off to him and to you Cayman for two different reasons.
Well Anonymous, you know to well from whence this "debt hole" came upon us that cause the UK to forbid us to borrow and run to Dart for PPP deals… It started under the PPM administration spending and blind eye to the global recession that in 2008, voters put in Bush, and Bush (who had the opportunity to make it better) only made matters worse. Both parties are to blame. Why would anyone in their right minds vote again for party candidates??/
Outsider looking in your comments are well noted and I wish that all Caymanian would read it and understanding. Cayman reminds me of a story I read about 40 years ago while attending primary school the story goes there was a man and his son who had a donkey and decided that they would take it into town to sell. So off they went leading the donkey to town, on the way there they came across many people who gave them suggestions and they did exactly what each person suggested at the very end someone suggested that they should both carry the donkey and they did, nearing the end of the journey they had to cross a bridge and the donkey fell over and drowned. Cayman had its own plan, but strayed from it and listened to everyone at the end of the day this country is going to end up like the man his son and the donkey. When the donkey fall over the bridge (that we now have to replace West Bay road) Caymanians will be left with inflation, high debt, crime, soring unemployment, high taxes (indirect) and poverty as we have never seen. The benevolent alumni would have moved on to greener pastures and the Emperor and his band of followers will have retired in their gated communities far removed from the common folks or living it up some where unknown to the rest of us, or they many even apply for political asylum somewhere in the Middle East like Dubai.
Well written and to the heart of the matter – well done!
The economic climate in Cayman has been deteriorating for the past 15 years. The Goose that lays the Golden Egg has been poorly treated and mismanaged.
The costs of doing business and indeed living in the Cayman Islands has become too expensive and uneconomic for many people. Those that stay are subsistance living – hand to mouth.
Gone are the prospects of future growth and welcoming that Cayman once had. Now instead we have neighbor against neighbor and politian against politian blaming each other.
Cayman is like a ship without a rudder or a Captain. It needs to embrace the three pillars of its economy – Finance / Tourism and the third SAFETY.
Everyone needs to calm down and take stock of themselves and say what can we do to make Cayman a better place. Make doing business here better. Make your vacation experience better. Make investing and living here better.
Without this proactive attitude the goose will die. There will be no golden eggs and Cayman will implode in to a violent mess. Be warned. Just one whiff of this potentially happening will send all the money and investors in Cayman somewhere else in no time at all.
So Cayman you have it in your own hands – what are you going to do ??????
WOW!
Such long wind from someone who truly has no idea what is going on. Nothing illegal about it huh? The writs that have yet to be heard will confirm the legality OUTSIDE of Public Opinion. Not Bloggers and Trolls.
If the writs pertaining to the project in question where not enough,
NEWS FLASH!!
Other Private Land Owners actually own Land in the area where the Carbon Monoxide Campground is going in as well as other sections of the "Wonderful" new project and road. No problem there commondering Private lands since everything that is being done is above board and just A-OK!! The two writs so far are only the tip of the legal iceberg. The only loop you are in on is the awesome new Roundabout.
How are you going to feel when Dart takes some of your land (if you have any) for a "Campground" road or other project of their choosing. No worries, since in your mind that would not be "illegal" either.
Is that you NJ2Cay, I know your style of writing, next time sign in an identify yourself..
There must be psychics in Cayman….I will remember to log in when I comment..
Huh? How Disingenuous for you to pretend that you do not have a vested interest on the island. How many times on the other main online local publication have you stated that you have property in Cayman? BUSTED!! For someone who's posts are consistently either against any Local's position or pretending to not understand what the issues are, you sure do spend a lot of time every day at all hours posting, commenting and surely hitting the comments buttons to further your agenda. Sad. One has to wonder what kind of deals you have or are hoping for that make you so callous towards others for the benefit of your own pocket. Very Dart like as anyone can see. Seems Trolldom really does exist and someone has been found out to be Dart's number oneTroll!!!! The position must pay well, Muppet!
Congrats wb’s you’ll got what you’ll sewed by voting in keke! CI brain wash community should be proud of yourselves now lol!
Braca
Way to scapegoat WB to make up for you lack of balls. Ya sure fooled me
Hopefully they will not stop and keep on going right into West bay…dig it all up Dart!
You sound really smart. What do you want to be when yougrow up? A lackey? Oh, good for you. You will have plenty of opportunity and I think it’s a good fit for you.
Another moron with no humour button. Have you ever noticed how people with no brain just react without realising what they are saying, and generally do so because being whacked in the face with the truth will hurt some.
so, you're saying I have no brain? Thats not very nice
This is fantastic news! Well done Dart. Progress at last!!!
Signed – Mom
Crying Shame!
What about the two writs before the courts??
The road can always be built back.
Activists please push on for the good of these islands!
Don't be discouraged!
They will both be tossed and dismissed as soon as they are heard by the court..
What about the planning law? Do you not need planning permission to dig or clear anything with machinery?
I believe I do, but somehow some others may be exempt. Same options seem toapply with pretty much every law.
Your move protesters! 😛
Quite what the writers P stands for will have to be left to the imagination of CNS's readership, presumably
I have my own idea, and it rhymes with Mick.
It is a symbol used in most social media to represent someone sticking their tongue out just like 🙂 means a smile.
Boy that was done in a hurry!!
That's what happens when you have essentially unlimited resources.
Yep, it was done in a hurry and the great Titanic sank also within a few hours.
You mean not your usual WB style…..
Absent apostrophe aside, I agree with you completely. Wonder why? Scared, maybe?
Don't you mean "comma"?
where are the bravehearts that siad they were going to stand in the way of the bulldozers???
this whole situation is a victory for progress…..
Maybe they did? They seem very quiet all of a sudden.
They are probably standing in line for the best spot on the new beach..
A victory for progress for Dart you mean.
'Progress' as it is being dealt with is usually prosperous for the few…
Which is more than can be said for your punctuation and spelling. Ever heard about starting a sentence with a capital? No? My goodness.
All we can do now is to remind those who had a part in this. I blame Dart for not having a conscience. He came to this little 2 X 4 island, was welcomed with open arms but that does not mean that he is entitled to every square foot, no matter how much money he has or how good he is at developing. The soul of Cayman and it's people certainly should worth more than the billions that Dart seems to have. Any one who cannot see this as wrong and who is jumping up with glee has no soul. Does'nt Cayman mean more to you than that?. Of course we need development , but does the Dart Group have to be so callous? All of you rejoicing abou this injustice seems to have forgotten that some of us really love this place and care about more than the billions of dollars you all claim you will be rolling around in. Please remember those billions are for Dart. For you to get any of it you will have to work for it just the same as if you were working for a small Caymanian business. Unfortunately all the small businesses have been gobbled up by Dart Group or had to close down because they could not compete; leaving the Town as a "Ghost Town" I bear no ill will towards the Dart Group but honestly, I am disappointed that a company who has "made it" has no heart and soul. Because they have the money does that mean that they should have everything they want? After they have conquered the world, by destroying it's people way of life and done it so recklessly I suppose they will look back at all the trophies and hopefully some how those trophies will be able to give them peace and they can pat themseles on the back and feel good that they had their way not matter what. However it might also remind them of the frustration and saddness they caused along the way. Does that look like progress for any other entity except the Dart Group? As I said at the begining those of us who are saddened by this latest move by The Dart Group and the Cayman Islands government for allowing it can remind them of letting us down come May 22. LET YOUR PEN DO THE TALKING. REMEMBER THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAT THE SWORD.
What a load of rubbish!!!!
Dart has built parks for all to enjoy. Made civic improvements to buildings and built a school. Employs 100's of Caymanians and employes the world's top architects and planners to create in Cayman an enviroment that focuses on family, nature and well being.
For the past 15 years Dart has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into Cayman. HE HAS NOT MADE ONE CENT OF PROFIT ON HIS INVEST TO DATE.
So before you go spouting on about 'no heart and soul' I would say that you are the heartless one because you cannot see past your hatred and blinkered selfishness.
Welcome to the real world. Bad business fail and good business succeed – SIMPLE.
There's no need to go about pretending that the man is doing it all out of the good of his heart. It is clear that is not the case. He is not doing charity work, his end game has to be to make a profit because, as you say, bad businesses fail. But not everything he ouches has been done well. Just look at the poor job done with some of the retail he holds, which has been shrinking over the last few years and looks terrible.
couldn't get the time off from work.
They have jobs?
You smug punk. There is no way the good people of this island are a match for darts ilk.
Yea, where are they? Should run them over! Such backwards people. If you didn’t want the Island to change Caymanians should not have sold their land, including that so called Capt. Bryan. Didn’t he used to own the land where Casanova is now? Everybody sold everything so don’t complain now.
You wouldn't recognise a braveheart if you tripped over him on the battlefield as you were looting his body.
you wouldn't find a caymanian braveheart on the battlefield…
Your triumph will be short-lived, and you will learn humility before this year is spent.
yeah right…..caymakind bravehearts 'soon come'…
see this is the difference between dart and caymanians….he actually gets stuff done!
Oh, so now you’re saying he’s Not a Caymanian?
er isnt Dart a caymanian now??
I would be humble but I'l far too good for that. If you want to extract revenge, just keep being you.