Developer to explain shoreline work to CPA

| 15/10/2019 | 39 Comments
Cayman News Service
Ferreira site in North Side

(CNS): The developer behind the Rum Point Club condos, who dug up a strip of North Side shoreline without the necessary permission, has been called to explain what happened to the Central Planning Authority, after he made an after-the-fact application for the work two years later. Meanwhile, another Rum Point landowner who cleared a site, including mangroves, for a home before planing permission was granted was given after-the-fact approval at last week’s meeting.

Planning officials confirmed that Sharon Ferreira, who cleared a 14,000sq.ft. site on Water Cay Road had been given after-the-fact permission for the land clearance. But there was no indication if she suffered any consequences as a result.

The Department of Environment had raised concerns about the pre-planning permission clearance at Ferreira’s site because an expanse of healthy mangrove along the entire length of the canal edge had been removed when it could have been incorporated into the landscaping. The department said it was yet another clearance incident where work begins based on a planning application before permission is granted.

“This approach to clearing and works commencing prior to planning permission being given and consulting agencies comments being received is an extremely worrying precedent,” the DoE stated, explaining that the chance to retain flora of ecological value is lost when landowners move ahead with projects before the CPA has approved them.

Meanwhile, Joe Imperato’s luxury Rum Point resort was on last Wednesday’s agenda regarding after-the-fact permission. In that case, ironshore had been ripped up in August 2017 and smoothed before the planning department was able to issue a stop notice. Nothing happened since then but an after-the-fact application was filed recently with the CPA.

However, officials from planning confirmed that the case was adjourned until a later date, as the developers are now expected to come before the authority to explain why the shoreline modification was carried out without permission.


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Category: development, Land Habitat, Local News, Science & Nature

Comments (39)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Michael Ryan set the standard for ripping out mangroves.

    https://archive.caymannewsservice.com/2012/05/16/

  2. Bertie : B says:

    Any work like this being done should be required to have a sign board in full view with permits being shown and easy to read , Dated signed sealed and delivered . If no permit there should be no heavy machine work being done !

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  3. Anonymous says:

    The true explanation is likely to be friends in high places that told him they’ll take care of it.

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  4. JTB says:

    There should be a legislative presumption in the case of coastal works carried out prior to planning approval that the planning will be refused, and the developer will be required to reinstate the property to its prior state.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Some of the recent development up at Rum Point is ugly as hell.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Wwwwhaaaat?? They are moving dirt!? How dare you!!

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  7. Anonymous says:

    I guess the lesson here is do as you wish and ask permission later or don’t ask at all, because chances are there will be no consequences for doing things without a permit.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    As it did with the Thompson development on the Waterfront.

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    • Chris Johnson says:

      This is correct. In August tons of rocks were dumped into the sea in an attempt to widen the dock. Since then these rocks have eroded through wave action and now scattered across the ocean. For obscure reasons an application has been filed after the fact with the CPA. But how is thIs a CPA matter? Tampering with the Queen’s bottom is a matter for the DOE not CPA. It is time these departments got a handle on things. Only a few years back the same developer pulled ironshore out of the sea without permission and then imported sand for his beach, again without permission. His fence has no CPA approval as well. No one is willing to take on these cowboy developers. Time for a change.

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      • Anonymous says:

        How can the DOE do their jobs when the people of these islands won’t stand behind them when they object? The port referendum is a miracle for Cayman, and I don’t mean that lightly. To ban the DOE from certain discussions (public & private) was a huge slap to all our faces. The elected officials who agreed to the port should never be elected again.

        I do know that if the elected officials (present & future) don’t start listening to the people there is going to be revolution and more crime.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Time for a Green Party in the Cayman Islands.

      • Anonymous says:

        Problem is that developers rule totally in the Cayman Islands. They have every major decision maker in their pockets. Sad but unfortunately true.

      • Anonymous says:

        Time for a Green Party to balance out the totally out of control developers here.

  9. Kadafe says:

    Called to explain? Oh so scary! Should be fined heavily! Make an example of them for their disregard for laws and regulations.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Once again DOE is interested in interfering with the legal rights of land owners who have done everything right.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    He can do whatever the hell he want and we cant do anything about it. He shut your lights off!!!!!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Mr. Joseph Imparato (note spelling) is no longer affiliated with the power company, so I am fairly sure that he is not interested in whether your lights are on or off.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    keep going! pretty soon we won’t know we are living on an island. what happened to the ‘high water mark stipulation? come on Cayman our island is being ruined and not one soul is trying to stop the destruction.
    If we don’t get rid of this ‘government’ there will be NOTHING left.
    Come on man. This place is going to hell in a hand basket. so sad

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    • Anonymous says:

      We really need a Green Party in the Cayman Islands. Developers are totally out of control which is demonstrated time and time again.

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    • Anonymous says:

      An exception was given to dart for the kimpton. Turns out once you start giving out exceptions it’s really hard to deny them to others. Funny how that works….

      Our government has already shown they are in the pockets of big money developers at the cost of there citizens and there punishment has been what? Continued re-election year after year.

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      • Anonymous says:

        If you think the police have no bite, try driving without a seatbelt on Sunday morning.
        You will feel the full force of the law.
        Perhaps that is the best time to steal drugs from the police lockup.
        Jokes, all of them.

        • Anonymous says:

          I avoid getting tickets from the police by wearing my seatbelt. Even on a Sunday. Grow up you man-baby. If you don’t see the reason for wearing seatbelts whilst driving on these roads, then truly, you’re an idiot.

          As for the actual issue here, get tough. Refuse retrospective applications. Get tough and it soon stops.

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        • Anonymous says:

          It’s amazing how there’s always at least one complaint about the police in the comments of completely unrelated articles. It’s like CNS’ version of Godwin’s Law

      • Anonymous says:

        We allowed 10 storey buildings on SMB for Kimpton and next year we are going for 50 storey buildings. Exceptions. ??????

  13. Anonymous says:

    Third world rules. Its third world people. Nothing has changed. Nothing will change. Like the police, all bark no bite.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    i was in a kayak the other day and you could see sand from the beach they made washing back into the sea and covering coral. why are these develops allowed to flout the law. There must be at least 75M “worth” of condos in this development, what’s the build and land cost 20-25M max $50M profit and any goverment fines maybe 2-300,000 max not a bad deal.

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  15. Anonymous says:

    CPA needs to use this as an example…It is ridiculous how these people can just destroy everything and not as much as pay a fine and then have the audacity to come back for an “after the fact” approval because they know that the lame a$$ CPA will give it to them..

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  16. Anonymous says:

    This loophole that allows for after the fact permission by the CPA should be closed right away. I am not sure if this is written into the law or regulations, or is just a practice implemented by the CPA but it is totally wrong but has been going on for years and wont change unless the Governor intervenes in the interest of good governance. The first step should be to change the current CPA board members.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Oh please, the Governor will not get himself involved in this mess. We need to hold the Premier and his government responsible for all this law breaking by the developers who call this little 2×4 Rock that we and they call home. The Planning Board needs to be disbanded ASAP. Some of them have been on there much too long, makes me wonder how much they are getting paid to sit on this board.?

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      • Anonymous says:

        Yup. There you have it. If the governor is not prepared to require good governance, he should donate his salary to the national trust, and leave.

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    • Anonymous says:

      We really need home rule here. Things are rapidly going downhill and we cannot run this place ourselves.

  17. Anonymous says:

    What a waste of time. We all know nothing will happen and he will be allowed to continue.

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