Pond smell could get worse
(CNS): Plans by the owner of the Alexander Hotel on Cayman Brac to dig out part of the adjacent Saltwater Pond in order to get rid of the bad smell could backfire. Not only is there no certainty that excavating one third of the pond will help alleviate the stink but it could actually make things worse, according to Department of Environment Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie. Hotel owner Cleveland Dilbert informed staff earlier this week that he was shutting down the Alexander after Cabinet insisted that he had to produce an environmental impact assessment before they could approve his coastal works application, which is part of a project to turn Saltwater Pond into a marina. However, it appears the hotel will not be closing after all.
"The Alexander Hotel will remain open as we work in partnership to find solutions," Deputy Premier and Minister of Tourism Moses Kirkconnell announced on the PPM Facebook page Wednesday, following “extensive talks” with Dilbert. (Below: the hotel sits next to Saltwater Pond, which emits a strong smell when the water level is low.)
Talking to The Caymanian Compass the same day, Dilbert claimed negotiations with government this week were “successful” and that he had been given authority (though the article was not clear by whom) to begin work on the “basin section” of the pond, pending approval from the Development Control Board.
However, commenting on the article, the DoE director said that several points needed to be clarified.
“Regarding the multiple claims in the article that excavating the pond will address the odour problem, the applicant has provided no evidence that excavating one-third of the pond will fix the smell. What of the remaining two-thirds which will be up-wind of the hotel?” Ebanks-Petrie asked. "To the best of my knowledge, there has been no proper investigation of the hydrology of the pond, the depth and characteristics of the sediments in the pond, or of the geology (for example, will it need to be blasted before it can be dug) in the location in which the Dilberts intend to excavate", she added.
“If the geology permits them to dig to their proposed depth, this will come with its own challenges in terms of maintaining good water quality. Deeper, artificially created ponds generally have poorer water circulation and poorer light penetration, both of which will likely contribute to low dissolved oxygen levels and poor water quality. In addition, by removing the sediments the connection to ground water will likely be enhanced, thus creating the potential for the introduction of excess nutrients through connections with deep wells from septic tanks on the surrounding properties as well as from land-based run-off,” she explained.
“If not approached carefully, and without a full understanding of both the natural pond ecosystem and the exact cause of the smell, excavation could result in making things worse,” Ebanks-Petire warned. “One of the DoE’s long-standing concerns is the detrimental impact on the marine environment resulting from opening this pond system to the sea.”
The DoE director also addressed suggestions in the article that the Dilbert family might not be fully responsible for covering the cost of the environmental impact assessment (EIA).
“Developers pay for EIAs because they have an obligation and a duty to demonstrate, with facts, that what they are proposing will not have irreversible, adverse effects on the environment and society. In this case the developer is proposing to impact public crown-owned resources (the pond belongs to the crown, as does the seabed),” Ebanks-Petrie said. “In our view this creates an even greater imperative for the developer to demonstrate that no harm will be done.”
She also questioned some of the claims made by Dilbert in the article about the marina project.
“Mr Dilbert acknowledges that he is not an environmental expert but claims that ‘after extensive research and consultation on our part, we are very confident that the proposed project, overall, will prove to not pose as a threat,” the DoE director said. “To date, Mr Dilbert has not produced any of this ‘extensive research’ to aid the decision making process. If he has this information, he needs to make it available to the DoE and the government as soon as possible.”
CNS has asked the Dilbert family what extensive research has been done and if any of it is documented and is awaiting a response.
Related article on CNS:
Category: Local News
Sorry for you Cleveland, you thought you was goimg help the Brac economy but unfotunately Hell would have been easier! This island belongs to certain Families and th People institutionalised into proverty, welfare and most of all Now no Backbone to decide their future. So yes unfortunately your good intentions and money is all in vain. Remember why you left the Brac those many years ago?Well nothing has changed, as there is nothing to get but liquor, cigarettes and Gossip! God help you out of this mess. From one who knows your original intentions and funny enough live here.
– 17:22. I continue to hear this body of water referred to as a saltwater pond ,but is it really a saltwater pond ,or is it a fresh water pond that has been contaminated by saltwater.Over the years this could have occurred naturally by storm surge and hurricane waves. . I believe this question has to be answered before any attempt at dredging or otherwise altering the pond takes place. If it is a freshwater pond then it should be oxygenated as suggested by other commenters,perhaps water features such as fountains could be added to aid in this. After this the pond could be improved by adding tarpon and other freshwater fish and hicatees.Perhaps tarpon feeding and fishing (catch and release), hicatee feeding ,and whistling duck feeding could all be developed as attractions around this pond which would benefit not only the Alexander Hotel,but Brac tourism as a whole.
I think the new Marina will actually work . First of all a lot of grand caymanians will be the first tourists to come . Just think about it , we will be able to go to Cayman Brac in our boats and go fishing and diving . Then pull in to Alexander marina and hotel in our private boats and tie up to a proper dock. Can't wait to go
The last time we docked overnight in Cayman Brac some friendly locals came on board and stole everything we had in our cooler.
But you keep dreaming if it makes you happy.
Who knew we had so many environmental experts? It's easy to sit back in Grand Cayman and criticize since you have already dredged everything that needed to be dredged there to facilitate tourism and growth. I just hope they preserve Heineken Reef…it's been building up in the stink pond ever since Coral Isle was built. I myself have contributed to its growth over the years and would hate to see it destroyed.
I know Cleveland and family and they are nice people. Having said that, the only ones to benefit from this is Cleveland and family – and nobody else.
If selling the fill is a means for Mr. Dilbert to recover the cost of the hotel then I'd say that it's a great deal for him – any time you have a five million dollar hotel built at no cost…
It is clear that Grand Cayman quakes in their boots if the very mention of something being done to improve the Brac is on the table. No obstacles were thrown out when marinas were built on Grand Cayman – not by the Coastal authorities or the DOE. Why don't you Grand Cayman greedy guts tend to your own business and let the Brac have a chance to tend to theirs. We need this hotel and we need a marina. It is as simple as that!!!
We (Grand Cayman) would let Brac tend to its own affairs if it didn't cost Grand Cay an arm and a leg. When you become self-sufficient without any subsidy from Grand then I'll shut up.
Well how do you expect the Brac to be self sufficient without some new attractions..
Did you forget that cayman brac is APART of the The Cayman ISLANDS!! andyour (GCM) budget is also made us of funds for the sister islands, so therefore they have just as much right to use it for something to benefit Cayman brac, ALSO do you remember that the cayamn islands are funded by GREAT BRITIAN!!, So while Cayman Brac is not in a position to be self- sifficient, neither is GCM 🙂 . Pull your head out of you rectum and think!!
Have a nice day.
When Mac wanted to Dredge North Sonud the people spoke out strongly and it was stopped. so your statement "No obstacles were thrown out" is false.
How can mr. Dilbert declare he will sell the fill when it is not his to sell? Is this part of the deal Moses that mr. Dilbert can take crown land and sell it for their benefit?
we the caymanian public would like to know and if it is the case then we should have a piece of the pie and whilst we at it let's dig up meagre bay pond cause that stinks too every time I drive by there during the dry months.
What came first ? The chicken or the egg ?
The Hotel or the Pond ?
The Brac doesn't have the first or only smelly pond problem in the world.
Solar and Wind powered pond fountains and aerators have been curing stinky ponds globally for decades. The action of aeration increases dissolved oxygen content, breaks up the stagnant upper layer of fluid creating convection which changes the microbial climate for algae growth – stimulating the positive natural ecological process that reverses the condition. This proven system quickly results in clearer water, more bird and aquatic life and less stink. Cheap, preassembled, and renewable. DeH should have installed several of these after the hurricanes a decade ago.
Quarrying material decreases displacement, lowers the overall fluid levels, exposing more stagnant algae beds, and increasing overall stench. Not a good idea.
DEH Dont Ever think itwill Happen.
Because 'improving' the pond is not the goal. Una leave Cleveland and his government-pays quarrry alone and stop trying to make him do what he claimed he wated to do.
http://www.clearpond.com/docs/articles/sludge-removal.php
One way or the other this going to end in tears for at least one of the parties involved, and Cayman Brac will ultimately enjoy no measurable long term benefit. You mess around with Mother Nature at your peril.
Cayman Brac may have a few earth-worshippers but I doubt that it has near as many as there are critics makig negative comments.
People who are not living on Cayman Brac and are not affeted by its needs, do not seem to understand that the locals should have a chance to do some things which they beileve will help the situation, without being harassed vehementty by outsiders who think they have all the wisdom.
People lauded as experts are not always right. The only being in the entiere Universe who is always rigtht, is the Almighty God that created it all, and instructed man that He put on the earth, to "subdue the earth and replenish it" (Subdue first, replenish later).
Intelligent, un-biased Cayman Brac-ers believe that where Scotts have their quarry, would be ideal for a Marina that would offer safety even in hurricanes. Dilbert's Marina could be opened
to Scott's quarry later on,since it will be located between that and the sea.
Through the process of nature, God povided Grand Cayman with some of these amenities that were not provided for Cayman Brac. I therefore ask the critics to lay off and let Mr. Dilbert do something about it.
I trust Mr Dilbert to do the project in a way that will cause minimal damage, offer a high level of safety, minmize threat to adjoining property, and become an asset to him and Cayman Brac.
You trust him to do the project that will cause minimal damage? I sure don't. I live here. I don't want projects of this magnitude done without at least a clue of the impact to the local flora and fauna, and if you lived here, you'd know that that is the very least of Mr. Dilbert's consideration.
He wants to save a hotel that was built upon a bad location, and we all get the joy of having an unstudied project thrust upon us that will ONLY benefit the property owner. Okay, and it will likely benefit Scott Development also.
This is NO asset to Cayman Brac. A marina in a sensible location that didn't involve a multi-million dollar drain on the public purse? Sure. If it passes an environmenal impact study.
“It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.” So said Ansel Adams.
"CNS has asked the Dilbert family what extensive research has been done and if any of it is documented and is awaiting a response." –
I sure hope you're not holding your breath as well?!
The best solution to this problem is to dredge all of the muck out of the pond then set up two solar powered pumping stations with pipes under the road to the sea. The muck can be used for fertilizer and packaged in sacks and exported.
Then use the much cleaner lake as a very large fish farm, and we will have enough fish not only for the Cayman Brac market, but also to export to Grand Cayman and other areas.
This will bring additional income to Cayman Brac, and the hotel can have it as an attraction since it will most likely be the largest fish farm in the Caribbean…
Now that's what I call thinking outside of the box.
You must really have some good stuff to smoke
good thinking there
Thanks for a sensible suggestion because all DOE seem to do is crow down everything without offering any solutions. The pond is STINK and we want a solution! A marina is a solution and very beneficial to the island. Why? If u live here u would know how dangerous the channel is, the divers our tourists are always put in danger. There is no safe harbor, this marina could be used to place our marine patrol and fire boat, yes not even this we have in Cayman Brac! List goes on and on just to name a few!
Utterly digusting.
The hate and jealously of certain people here masqueraded as environmental concerns for a scum pond….. is utterly digusting and dispicable. Typical I suppose. Thumbs downs please, its a compliment.
This is an excellent example if how people would rather stink up the place then to see someone else do better than them. I'm sure people feel the smelling this stink pond is a part of their heritage but hey so is hating
We'll just troll you instead.
This scheme involves public land and public funds being used to aid a private citizen who made a bad business decision. The public has every right to question and object, in particular given that the scheme is not supported by the government’s own department that is charged with protecting the environment.
It is a bad idea and a complete misuse of public money and resources.
Even Juju didn’t pull this level of BS.
Oh yes she most certainly did. They are all a bunch of charlatan parasites.
Let Dilbert sell the stinky fill………then he will have money to pay for all that free asphalt
paviving of the hotels parking lots he got in that whole Brac road debacle some years ago.
Or is that just considered CIG aide as well. More back room b*** s***!
Hi! Me again. The idiot who stood up for Dilbert when he initially made his declaration that he was closing the hotel in 14 days because of his $150k a year in losses.
Firstly, thank you to CNS for providing excellent coverage. Your investigative process is refreshing.
Now, onto my next point. Why is that people see the need to amend, change, or destroy mother nature for financial gain? Had the pond been the result of Paloma and just showed up one day, that would be one issue but this pond has always been a fixture, protected at that, on the Brac.
My questions are:
1. Mr. Dilbert: Why your location for a marina? Has anyone else done the research to see if there are better places on the Brac for a marina, if it does in fact need one?
2. Mr. Dilbert: Have you done your due diligence to see if people would actually come to this marina? Cayman is in the hurricane belt. Boaters take themselves south outside of the belt for safety and insurance reasons (more costly to stay put). This takes half the year when people may not even come into the marina. I hope someone holds your feet to the fire for a business plan.
3. Mr. Dilbert: Sir, I ran to your defense the other day and said that it was a sad day that anyone has to close their baby. I sympathized with your situation. I then saw that not even 24 hours after CNS posted the story that you had walked back on your declaration. Well, after hearing more of the story in both publications in Cayman, I retract mysupport of you. You have lost my respect as a businessman. You have carried on in a most child like fashion to get what you think you deserve at the cost of your fellow countrymen. One has to ask now, have you purposely let your business fail? You rates are exorbitant. Your marketing non-existant. This may sound outlandish to even suggest. However, remember, I stood up for you when everyone said you were out to snafu your own coup. I gave you the benefit of the doubt. You no longer deserve it. I hope the Brackers fight you tooth and nail.
This is the best possible outcome. For the developers. They get to dredge a quarry. And then they don't have to go through with the marina (huge cost) because they've already got the money-making part of the project done and someone else (nasty environmentalists, clueless Cabinet, etc.) wouldn't let them do it because of the obvious impacts. – The smartest thing the developer did was threaten the marine habitats to distract everyone from the pond itself. Now he gets his quarry and can say people shouldn't feel bad because he restrained himself from building the marina. Isn't he a nice fellow?
I love how we have so many experts on CNS.
Mr. Dilbert, I ask you sir to please continue and try to bring some change to the Brac. For too many yaers people have only talked about it and you are willing to take the risk. Don't let those who have no interest in the island try to railroad this project. You saw how many of us supported you at the civic center a few weeks ago. Keep it up and let's see some development on the island. I will be happy to bring my cabin cruiser in there on a weekly basis.
What Risk? He wants governement to pay for digging out the pond and then government to pay for building the new road (taking people's land) and hope that he then has the money to build the marina. i.e., that he hasn't spent the money Government paid for the fill from their own pond. – So who's taking the risk?
The risk is whether the hotel will be able to remain open. Let's not talk about what government is doing… Go collect the $6 million still owed from the ritz.
It seems like everyone from grand cayman has a comment about it yet they don't come and visit.
Until you're prepared to put money into the Brac economy as many of us do on a daily basis then don't knock a man down for trying to get ahead… Wait, let me rephrase that… A CAYMANIAN MAN!
“Cabin cruiser”? Really? Will you be navigating by astrolabe?
I call troll sir……
You live in the Brac? Do you visit? Do you have any idea what boats are here? Troll yourself. My boat is registered locally and I live here. I'll be glad to visit the marina and pull up to a dock where I can order lunch for my family. Maybe even fill my boat up with gas and supplies. Anywhere sounds like that in Grand Cayman? You have how many marinas and canals? Either lead, follow or get out of the way. You sir,are only trying to impede the progress of Cayman Brac as you have nothing invested here. Enjoy your boatless day!
Anonymous 09:27, I think you're full of it! You must be the biggest expert of all. You'd be stupid to bring your cabin cruiser to the proposed marina, if indeed you even have one…
I never claimed to be an expert in that area. Yes I do have a searay cabin cruiser and I use it every weekend. Bought it 3 years ago and it's just boring going to rum point each weekend. Let's do something different for a change.
Maybe the barccadere at Scott's marina is stupid too… But last time I checked… It was full… And right beside the airport… And where was the reaction to that? Go troll somewhere else!
There was less objection because it didn't involve having goverment pay the developers million of dollars to develop it. Which is Dilbert's plan when you include Governent moving the road for him.
Oh dear. You got a lot to learn sonny boy. Piddling about the North Sound is one thing. An ocean voyage is quite another. Your SeaRay cabin cruiser is not really the best vessel for anything other than running from the yacht club to Kaibo.
As one who has made the crossing many times I would urge you not to become a news item and resist the temptation to venture out of the channel.
I'm not one to destroy natural habitat, but if everyone in Cayman Brac is hell bent on getting rid of the smell, then I say pipe sea water in and out of it and turn it into a fish farm and tourist attraction. That would only require two small cuts across the road for inlet and outlet pipes.
If they can farmgrouper in high rises in Hong Kong, then they can do the same on the south side of Cayman Brac. I'm sure government/DOE would allow them to trap a sufficient number of grouper to stock the farm initially.
Yeah, they can farm grouper in high rises in Hong Kong because they can think out of the box!!
Cayman Islands….not so much.
Agree, can't get ideas outside the box because too many from outside the islands telling US what to do.
Hey, if you think its a good idea (to farm grouper) you foot the bill. Don't go blaming "Cayman" for your own inadequacies.
They farm Grouper in Hong Kong because they destroyed the Grouper environment years ago. How do you think a fish farm could be run with any success? Look at the Turtle farm and Sting-Ray City. Cayman is incapable of animal husbandry outside of agricultural stock.
Great, another Bosun's Beach Turtle Farm, thats a really good bussiness idea.
It's a lot more complicated than that. They have no clue what's causing the smell. They have piped seawater in and it made no difference. Simple solution should have been to not build a hotel there. Read the comment of one of his former supporters above.
The stench from the pond is nothing compared to the stench of the politics in Cayman Brac. If certain people can't own everything, nothing happens.
Come on Moses …I expected better..amazing how power can go to your head..this is a bad decision to ensure longevity in office…business as usual..PPM/UDP no difference…
My mama always said, the more you stir poop the stinker it gets.
They should build a small canal from the pond to the sea across the road, the pond is only stink when it dries out, so obviously keeping it full of water would be sensible. Dredging it and providing this canal (with a vehicular bridge connecting the two sides of road that would be parted due to the construction) would be the best solution.
To poster 6.01 – yes your good friend Moses does have interest in the tourism product and he also has interest in the property being sold to the other developer for that other marina development. This is the Brac we all know who owns what and who influences what.
Moses is a Caymanian business man, he has several businesses including a real estate company, that sells properties. Yes he does own a tourist resort. Now what is the big deal? would you rather him sit there and not make money in his own country?
He is not doing anything wrong my friend. He just happened to be a member of the most affluent family in the Brac with lots of land.
There were other land owners also, but they gave it all away.
Yes he is throwing a temper tantrum to get what he wants and it worked. Just like the other developer is throwing a temper tatrum saying they are also going to leave the Brac and not develop further. Lets see how this plays out.
Government, I put money into my pension and it lost money. If you don't let me dig up Seven Mile Beach and sell the sand I'm going to… Let's cut the crap. This situation stinks!
Why is the Government only allowing him to dredge 1/3 of the pond. This is ridiculous. If he is going to be permitted to work on the pond then he should clear out all of it. So if you clean a 1/3 of the pond the other 2/3 will not stink???? Mr. Dilbert says its about the smell so you clean 1/3 really – we must all be stupid. Its all about him getting his way to get a deep harbour to put boats nothing about "just getting rid of the smell" for the good of us Brackers.
Quarry. Not harbour. Quarry. – Otherwise, yes.
Government hasn't allowed anything. Just saying….
This whole deal smells.
I hope he pays government for every silt and rock that is dug from the pond. Mr Dilbert needs to wake up and understand he made a bad investment and he should cut his losses like many men have done in the past and move on. Why should government or DOE now destroy a sanctuary just to appease one man?
6;41
Becasuse of your gripe with Cleveland you would rather see this bit of progress killed for the rest of the Brac. Take your differences out with Cleveland and let the other Brackers enjoy this bit of progress, please!
Only Brackers would see dodgy goverment largesse as "progress". Welfare junkies over there.
You know its really sad what people like you think about cayman brackers.
I am a proud that i am from Cayman Brac.
Not all of us are on welfare and i'm sure you would be on it too if you could. I am 24 years old, own a house, have a job and maintain my own!!
If your going to make comments about the situation in which the article is about, do so and leave your uneducated and ignorant comments about Brackers out.
Thanks.
If some Brackers aare/were welfare junkies, then the whole world is full of welfare junkies. Do you realize that Cayman Brac produced men like the late Linton N Tibbetts who owned the biggest indepedently owned building supply business in the United States. He probably owned a bigger building supply business than anyone in Canada or Britain ever owned. In addition Capt Gerald McLean, the first man of color to be an American steam ship Captain hailed from the Brac. Those and many others never got where they got in life by depending on welfare. It is just politics that has reduced Cayman Brac to a welfare state. Please research your history before commenting on a subject for which your knowledge is extremely limited.
Does not take a genious to figure out that a Marina at Salt Water Pond is not feasible by any economic model. Government continually complains about not having money, so why should it do anything to assist a "businessman" who made a poor investment.
I have said it before, but will say it again – a Marina would have already happened years ago (long before Mr. Dilbert fled back to Brac as a refugee from Cayman). Don't have to name people, we know who owns what on Brac, not hard to figure that these same people would have used their money and political influence.
My good friend Moses is in a conflict of interest position (has competing interests in tourism properties). So as a friend I would advise him to abstain in the matter and let fellow PPM member Miss "Juju" be the champion for the genious who built a 30-plus room hotel on an interior piece of land.
Brac Development Control Board? Thanks for the laugh.
Environmental Assessment paid for by Mr. Dilbert? Thanks for another laugh.
If it is Crown Land, then at some point in time England's representative – the Governor- needs to get involved.
No big loss to Brac if Mr. Dilbert packs his bags and closes down – Tiara closed years ago and both Moses and Juju have been unsuccessful asDeputy Premiers in making anything happen with this property.
Mr. Dilbert wants to be part of a very exclusive small number of people who strongly influence what happens in Brac – unna know who I am referring to.
Hope Dept of Environment, Development Control Board,Cabinet and all concerned be very thorough with what happens to this Crown Land.
DOE WILL TRY TO RAILROAD
Every project that comes to the table. The facts are they are known to bend the truth at times to get there own way. Just take in consideration the how much the new bill that was presented by them had to be amend. If we follow DOE every project brought to the board will not go anywhere. Go Cleveland if it was a foreigner you would not hear this BS
I dare say if it were a foreigner, they may not even attempt to do what this man has done and is trying to do to the Brac.
Railroad – to force (someone) into doing something quickly or without enough information.
I think that is a better definition of what Dilbert is trying to do than the DOE.
Another classic example of POLITRICKS in a "Banana Republic"
It is shocking that the government would capitulate to the petulance of Mr. Dilbert and allow this pond to be dug up without proper research being done as to the overall impact to the environment in order to maintain his political support.
The only thing worse is that this government will be using public funds to help finance the EIA. If the Dilbert's are not going to pay for the EIA why should the tax payers contributte to this cost on a project that primarily benefits the developer?
The government should have done something about this stinky pond decades ago. Maybe now with the help of some private funds they can get it cleaned up. Everytime I go over for a weekend to stay at Brac Reef, I drive by this pond and wonder why previous governments have not made an effort to clean it up.
Mr Dilbert sounds like self will run riot.
Good Day Mr Gilbert.
I understand all of your frustration and what you are trying to achieave. As I understand it the smell developes from stagnent water correct. Well in stead of cutting a channel to the sea to flood the pond and exchange the water , Why cant an design engineer use the same concepts to design transferr chambers from the sea to the pond in order to exchange the water and cut the smell out . Its an idea . Back home thats what we use to call laggon ponds.. Transferring fresh sea water and removing old may work with the pumps.
But then they wouldn't get government to quarry out the rock and sell it (to government for a road, or soemone else if Govt. doesnt' build their road for them). – Follow the money.
Hey Government if you do not give me a million dollars I am going to stop paying my bills, divorce my wife and put my kids up for adoption…
GET A LIFE DILBERT! You got yourself in this mess… so sink or swim!!
Here are some suggestions!
1. First things first. Get someone to harvest that "scum" that sits right in front of the hotel. This stuff is a super fertilizer which can be given or sold to local farmers.
2. Install a 18 inch diameter steel pipe buried under the road from the ocean to the pond. Attach a heavy duty pump to that pipe and pump fresh sea water into the pond at the end near the hotel.
3. Install another pipe at the far end of the pond going back to the sea. This pipe will have a super filtering system attached to the land side end of the pipe to filter water returning to the ocean. After about four to six months there will be nothing but sparkling clean water in the pond.
4. Last but not least. Fill the pond with local shore line fish such as grunts, goat-fish, mingras and some conch and lobster. "NO TURTLE thats for cayman" and you will have your own tourist attraction.
there is a pipe
there is a pump
the sludge is NOT fertilizer
wake up b4 u post
and you forgot to add putting in some dolphin to keep the conch happy
I say fill it with grouper so Brackers can fish to their hearts content.
Brilliant! I love this post. Excellent. My hat is off.
Sad part is, this man Dilbert has his sights set on a marina. He does not want to work with the problem, he wants to create a multitude of additional problems to the island so he can be the big man with a MARINA….
Nothing will save the Alexander, short of picking it up and moving it to a beach front site.
Gina, you just can't help these people. You might as well give up and let the Brackers destroy their island. They really want to.
Anonymous 23:48, the first part of your comment is no doubt correct. The second part is only partly correct. All Brackers do not want to destroy our island. Only the greedy or those lacking in foresight are in this category.
The better be careful of methane=explosion, when products break down like trees & leaves etc it give off methane in decomposition process! Concen Bracka
When man mess with mother nature man always looses! Oh well we’ll see when it’s all done!
23;23
What you are saying is, that the greatest of countries that developed some of their nature habitats, have failed? i dont think so! I will bet you have travelled and enjoyed these area that are converted from their natural states?
You need to get educated real bad, take your head out the sand.
Stop your stupidness. The Brac is 11 miles long by 1-12 miles wide. Mr. Dilbert is converting a minute of that area, not even 1/16 of a mile in area, to improve the progress of the Brac, something that should have been done 25 years ago.
1- The 'greatest of countries' have not failed because when they exhausted their own resources, they began to exploit the resources of others. This is also why the most developed states have implemented legislation that prevents this kind of ill advised development.
2- Repeatedly throughout history we have had to learn that wanton human waste inevitably leads to disaster. Even the staunchest climate change denier cannot deny that we have and continue to suffer where we provide poor care for our environment.
3- Mr. Dilbert claims it would improve progress on the Brac. He speaks lovely, yet declines to share how he came to such a conclusion. Having listened to his interview on Rooster, it seems to me that this is a 'other developers are building marinashere so i guess i can too'. In no way does that make even sound business sense. He's chosen a poor location to invest in. He made a poor decision. He needs to just accept it and get on with his life.
4- Caymanians need to stop this foolishness where every Tom, Dick and Harry can come along and try to capitalise on a problem. Learn to think, guys. Yes, it may be a solution, but is it the right solution? Every now and then someone comes along with an idea and we seem to believe that it has got to be mana from heaven sent here to save us. It's pathetic.
My two cents…
the pond was there when they built the hotel, they knew this and now it is as if the pond is the problem. No! Mr. Dilbert is the problem. It's a case of me building my home by the airport and complaining about the noise. Hello, the noise was there, so if I can't take the noise I should have build else where.
Now about the marina it may or maynot be a good idea but it should stand on its own merit as to the dredging of the pond.
What irritated me most about this whole issue is the way it seemed like the government is being blackmailed or extorted in order for someone to get their way.
If it's good, it's good to do and can be proven but please don't resort to feet stomping tantrums when you cannot get your way. This marina may be a great thing, somebody produce the evidence please to show Ms. Petrie, so she can stop huffing and puffing and trying to blow the hotel down!
Yeah I'm from the Brac!
Oy, don't blame Petrie for doing her job if there is nothing to support the proposal. And there hasn't been, has there? Other than a plan to get Government to pay someoen for digging out a Government pond so they can sell the fill to the Government to build a road with (at additioanl Governent expense, including cumpolsory purchase of the land it would be built on) in order that the developer can build a marina behind his hotel, but not for his hotel's benefit. – Sheyah, Right.
This marina may be a great idea – someone produce the evidence – Petrie stop objecting — but no one has produced the evidence – because the marina is clearly not a good idea – good thing we have someone in government doing their job. (And it clearly aint the roll-over-to-threats brigade.)
12;25
Can you sir, please tell the peolple of your evidence why this particular marina is a bad idea for the Brac?
I can tell of 20 good reasons why this is a good idea for the Brac.
Oh boy. Well to hell with the birds, and to hell with the local community, right? Mr. Dilbert is on a mission, and that mission doesn't appear to have much to do with what is good for the community.
That pond has been dredged before, with no aparrent impact, other than putting the stinky mud on shore. What's the plan now? Haul the dredged mud and silt to the dump? Now there's a dandy idea. SMH.
I wholly support businesses on the Brac trying to better themselves. This is just a bad investment that keeps getting worse. I don't see any benefit to the public purse nor government contributing one dollar toward this barren endeavor.
Put another way, if the Alexander hotel has consistently lost money EVERY year, why, oh why should any funds other than Mr. Dilbert's be frittered away? A marina is never going to fix that. It is a poor investment with the added bonus of having minimal environmental impact studies conducted upon it.
If they dredged that pond from one end to the other, it would not make the economic situation any better in the Brac, just wait and see!!!
Thsso called Caman Brac model is not realistic. The Brac economy will never improve unless they do something drastic and out of the box, which will never happen.
There is far too much wait and see attitude in the country. We waited and seed through several self-serving Cabinet administrations and now have the same thing under another banner. NCL is as toothless as the Traffic Law as long as Cabinet can override and pander to whomever they choose. It is the essence of corruption yet the public waits and sees. Until people speak up against this, you'll continue to get what you ask for – which is more of the same.
This entire idea isnt about smell!!! It is about trying to improve the economic viability of the hotel and the Brac as a whole. But…it wont work. The problem isnt smell, its failed economic policies that do not work, because the past and present leaders do not want to upset some people or run the risk of not getting the votes of the majority.
So, the beat continus….
You are correct about that. If there is one thing that one people hate to hear is the truth, so they tend to shoot the messenger.