Helipad stirs up trouble in North Side
(CNS): A proposal by one of Dart’s network of companies to construct a helicopter landing pad in the Hutland area of North Side has stirred up concerns across the district, and the local MP has submitted a formal objection on behalf of his constituents, including neighbouring landowners directly impacted by the proposal. The helipad appears to be for the private use of Ken Dart, Cayman’s wealthiest resident, his family and friends, according to documents submitted to the Central Planning Authority, which is scheduled to hear the application on Wednesday.
Following a community meeting and discussions with Dart staff, Ezzard Miller MP is leading the campaign against the project, which is described as “unprecedented”, given its effect on the community.
The impact on land values, the risk of a chopper crash, the threat to any future development of land in the flight path and the disruption to the peace and tranquility of those living in the area are some of the key concerns of North Siders. But residents are also concerned that the helipad would be the first step in a commercial venture and are skeptical that it would be confined to private use, given the proposal by Dart to create mountain bike pathways for what they say is the owner’s use.
In the submissions made to the CPA by Arboretum Services Ltd (DECCO Ltd), the company states that the helipad will be used for private, day-time only flights and will not be used for commercial purposes. The helipad location was chosen for the natural higher elevation in that area, which would improve flight path clearances. In addition, the helipad has been positioned to avoid areas with dry forest growth.
The Department of Environment (DoE) has stated that it does not have any major ecological concerns about the project as there is a sufficient buffer between the proposed helipad location and Malportas Pond to the north and the Mastic Trail to the east. However, the department noted the nuisance to surrounding land users and residents of a helipad in this area.
The Dart company argued in its submissions that the helipad will have no effect on the traditional use of adjacent land or on its future development potential. “Due to the large parcel sizes, the helicopter will be in excess of 100’ in altitude prior to reaching a non-Dart parcel boundary,” the developer stated in the submissions. “Due to the large parcel size, the helipad will allow for one of the safest operation zones of any helipad on island.”
Dismissing the community’s concerns about any impact on the future development by adjacent landowners, the islands’ biggest landowner and developer said the current zoning for the area is limited to agriculture or residential with maximum height of three and four storeys.
However, in the submissions on behalf of his constituents, Miller pointed to the potential for volumetric parcels, a new planning feature that was created to accommodate Dart, and implied that the group was now trying to prevent his NS constituents from accessing the same type of privilege he was afforded.
Dart also dismissed any need for an access road to the helipad, despite safety concerns, noting that that the point was to access remote areas that are often unreachable by vehicle. “There are no regulations stipulating that an access road is required. However, in this instance, there is an existing marl road that is traversable by vehicle to access the helipad site,” Dart stated.
Defending its submission in response to recent enquiries from CNS, a spokesperson for the group said, “This will be used for private, day-time only flights and will not be used for commercial purposes. The proposed location utilises previously cleared land and was chosen for the natural higher elevation in that area, which will improve flight path clearances.”
See the full details of the application on the CPA Agenda in the CNS Library.
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Category: development, Local News
What’s the use in even discussing it. Al’T will have this “rubber stamped” up for Dart before election..Mark my words.
This is Cayman and what DART wants DART gets…
Follow the money people..follow the money..
Y’all do know they can just hand clear the area and land the helicopter there anyway, right?
Whether or not all affected residents in Cayman (most without personal pilots and helicopters) wish to endure the recurring nuisance of these indulgent recreational sorties, should factor highly in these decisions, indeed, just as highly as animals, and yet, that part doesn’t seem to factor at all, due to political corruption.
Flying a helicopter to go ride your bike. Not exactly environmentally friendly, is it. You could actually, err, ride your bike to go ride your bike.
But that would involve potentially mixing with the natives, and that Lord Dart doesn’t deign to do.
So having f’ed up the West of the Island, Lord Dart (or Dart Vader if you will) turns his omnipotent attention to the East and the North. All while peddling virtue-signalling crap at Camana Bay.
And let’s face the uncomfortable yet undeniable truth: Camana Bay is a total sh*thole, and has butchered the 7MB corridor with multilane roads and sprawling parking lots and infantile architecture. Clearly Dart cannot afford a planner or architect with anything more than a high school Diploma. That, or his Lordship did it himself. Ill conceived, badly designed and appallingly implemented, but no doubt motivated by his Lordship’s ego.
No wonder his Lordship’s kids want nothing to do with it once he passes on to his righteous and rightful position in the Sky (Extreme Overlord of All He Surveys – i.e. Cayman).
Kenny knows what he is doing. Its his kids, giving them something to do, that designed the buildings and that awful bridge!
I’m all for environmental protection, reasonable and sustainable development, and full consideration of local homeowners’ preferences, but you lot really are using a twisted mentality.
As an earlier poster mentioned, this land would have been acquired from a Caymanian in the past. That Caymanian will have signed away that land, and left, happily, with the money. Yet now you say the new landowner – Dart – can’t do what they want, on their own land ? I bet if some of you owned that land, and Dart wanted to buy it off you, you would snap his hand off. Hypocrites the lot of you.
FYI all the objectors are multi generational North Siders Caymanians … who are trying their best to hold on to a part of the islands that will not become a DArt World attraction. Dart was the 1st none Caymanian owner in four generations. Which side of hypocrisy does that fall with you
They want roads built in their own properties so they can develop them you damn fool.
4:14 and 1:17 are the ONLY 2 comments that see that the rest of you unable to see!
Just like what is currently taking place in Bermuda, the commission for historic land losses in the cayman islands will reveal some uncomfortable truths. The narrative of who sold the land, who acquired it, and under what terms will silence people like you forever. You shall see then who the true hypocrites are.
Should scare off those pesky Cayman Parrots that Ezzard wants to cull anyway if nothing else.
I implore all Caymanians to follow the money and see who really benefits from the destruction to our pristine growth forest now under assault too like our beaches all big supporters of this very government Owners and developers both .
Our precious environment has to suffer just because some from elsewhere want to build million palaces on Spotts Beach .How truly sad for these little islands.
Other than the underground rest homes at the cemetary and the condos, I’m fairly certain every house overlooking Spotts Beach is a million(s) dollar house. Including the older ones.
What’s your point?
It’s even more pathetic to know how she acquired the land, to begin with. A Caymanian wouldn’t have been able to accomplish the reciprocal in the US.
So sad what’s happening all because some who have come to our shores who have married up in life and don’t want to ever work in life but run around Camana Bay in name brand clothes and high end cars with their no use Riff Raff who are willing to see our precious environment destroyed at all cost by what ever development that propels their image as elites in this little Peyton place.Had it been a Caymanian spouse it would have been a whole different story that’s one thing for sure.
Who you talking bout?
Only you in the dark bud.
Exactly anon 105am it was not a fellow north sider it was Infact The owner of a certain paving company so the ex anti Caymanian princess and her jive turkey could build their million dollar palace on Spotts beach.What a real shame Caymanians are so willing to help those who clearly have little or no regard for them and these little islands or the local people only here for what they can get.
The powerless will always cry about those with power. Education is power. Cry harder if it makes you feel better. Cry to your elected Leadership. Cry to each other. Its really all you can do. You should have gone to an off island school. Now its too late. At least you can read and write all your whining but remember.. Bush can’t read and Alden don’t care so tell John John and he will set you straight.
6:59am – Excellent and valid comment. Your last line says it ALL. Look at the butt hurt downvotes but they know it’s true too. If not, you are just plain blind to what is going on around you.
Look at the upper echelons on this island and check where they got heir education, even who paid for it. The grants/scholarships go to the privileged and well connected. They should not even be allowed to apply for those. Those should be for the ones that cannot afford it to give them a ‘leg up’.
The social gangs here are meant to keep out those that cannot afford to join. If you can’t afford the Cayman Cookout or the Breast Cancer Gala, do not even bother. It is only for the elite.
Any body see this in the Compass ? Just saying
It seems to me that the trouble with all of the Dart applications is that you give them an inch and they usually take a mile. They are not up-front or open about their actual long term intentions, but seek planning consents on a seemingly innocuous basis and then, once their foot is in the door, subsequently reveal far more invasive plans, by which time they have already obtained and begun to act upon the permissions that they wanted.
Remember that when they purchased the Marriott Courtyard at Public Beach they publicized their clear intention to retain the original structure and restore it. Did anyone actually believe that, even for a moment?!! It was obvious from the outset that they would be knocking it down and building bigger and taller. Dart would never have been satisfied with a six storey hotel on a site where ten stories were possible. Yet we had to go through the charade of pretending that a detailed survey had surprisingly found that it would not be financially viable to restore the original building…. blah, blah, blah!! And now it has become the massive Kimpton, not even close to the proportions of the original hotel, plus it cost the local population a large section of the West Bay Road and the natural identity of the original Public Beach itself.
And then we always have to listen to how good the new development will be for the Cayman Islands in terms of new jobs, only to find that when those jobs become available they are predominantly filled, not by Caymanians but by nationals of other countries from all around the world!
It’s a great pity that the Dart organization do not credit the people of the Caymanian Islands with any common sense, but even more of a pity that our spineless planning Authority/Government consistently prove them right!!! And the lesson is never learned, the same strategy reliably works for Dart no matter how many times they use it.
Just like everything else that the Dart organization requests, they will be allowed to build this helipad. Dart says jump and Cayman says how high?!!
Spot on – I see you have some dislikes from the Dart Empire.
I notice they went for a 5 storey office building – got the consent but sneakily have recently submitted a variance to go to 10 storeys. All the while knowing they were going to build to 10.
Perfect spot to bug out to in Grand Cayman, natural spot that is.😐 I’d do this too, good insurance against tsunami if there’s enough time after the warning goes out.
Dart is flying onto his own land, purchased from some North Sider who was willing to sell. He has never made a mediocre development in Cayman; he always built to the highest standards. So why can’t he use his helicopter to fly to his land? It beats having one more car on the roads. Is it just because some of you are jealous that it isn’t you? You never know, but one day that helicopter may just save one of your lives. So let’s stop running Dart down. You sold him your land, now let them man enjoy the land he paid you handsomely for. This pettiness really needs to stop. On the other hand, if we never had investors here like Dart, many of you would be screaming for a well off investor, as many of you would be looking jobs. You want the money flowing in, but you don’t want the investors to enjoy what they paid you for. This is so sickening.
But to get to his land he is flying over others when he wishes would you mind if we all walked across your garden when we felt like riding our bikes? 💁♂️ Btw it was a guy from Newlands who sold him Willies Mango Farm … so come mango season wait till you have to go to the Ritz and pay $20 for a mango ….
So why you didn’t buy it?
ya na see nuttin yet..wait till dart/ppm have unah working at minimum wages alongside foreigners and ….
Olde has had a very nice helipad across from her house for years. Why not complain about that one too?
Is Mrs Olde willing to share hers and is Mr. Kenneth wiling to compromise?
She never got permission to use it ….
Get your facts straight. Windmill Hill Heliport is a registered facility assigned the ICAO identifier of MWCW.
The AW139 Helicopter utilized by Mr. Dart has been sighted operating there numerous times.
Check to see who is buying up large parcels of land in this area..
.. and the brilliant idiots selling them fo4 dirt cheap.
Sadly, the ones with the most land are selling out Cayman with their short-sightedness
I live on Shamrock Road Racetrack. What I wouldn’t give for a helicopter over tosspots in Mustangs, crappy BMWs and the obligatory modified Hondas, fitted with those pop and bang remaps. Don’t forget the Jake brake retards too.
It isn’t like he will have military helicopters that will fly over the only children’s park on the island twice a day, or anything
Hopefully it is only twice a day!
The real question I have, is can it potentially be used for an emergency Medical helicopter-evac to town for critical patients in the area in case an ambulance could take too long to get there?
It’s a helicopter, it can land anywhere if it is an emergency. By the time they get the patient down in that bush to get him on a helicopter that has to come from George Town and then go back to the airport, put him in ambulance and take him to the hospital they could have taken him to the hospital by ambulance.
What we need is an emergency room at Health City and a couple of ambulances.
Yeah that is a Fair point actually.
Will the voters of North Side give this man his severance… PLEASE
He needs to go and collect his severance he voted on. Even breeze is a problem.
4.33 What other candidate do you have that even understands what volumetric parcels are. Answer: none
It’s amazing to read the Civil Aviation Authority of Cayman Island’s response. And the passing of the buck between them and CIAA. How on earth can any Helipad in the Cayman Islands, much less one being constructed to a standard to accommodate An Augusta Westland AW139 (A large helicopter) not be a “certified facility”. And not fall under the regulatory oversight of the governing body for all things Aviation in the Cayman Islands (CAA)? What precedent will now be set?
OTARS Part 139 Certification of Aerodromes and ICAO Annex 14 Vol 2 Heliports seem to indicate otherwise…
Bet if a Caymanian other than Dart wanted to build a private landing strip on their own land, they request would be refused. How do I know? Because I tried. The big issue was zoning and the risk the flight path over private residences would pose. So if Dart’s land is zoned as agricultural/residential, it should not be changed to facilitate him.
Talk about better than the average Caymanian after Dart created the traffic issues now he is too entitled to use the roads. Now he want to mess up North Side – North Side don’t want you around showing off with your gang ….
Dart created the traffic issues? Now you can hear some shit boy.
It’s like allowing a bull into your China shop then getting pissed off and blaming the bull when your shop gets wrecked.
It’s more like taking your car to the shop and complaining that it’s fixed.
6:50 you are delusional if you think anything was “fixed” with the grotesque monstrosities he has built.
cave people out again…and always against dart…zzzz
caymanians against virtually everything.
I hear ya Alden..
Yeah
We out
Out to fight off the tunnel people.
Hi noise to the neighbouring areas from that thing taking off every morning from Camana Bay should be enough to put a big “REJECT” stamp on that application, if anyone in government has the balls to stand up to him.
I assumed he was just “buzzing” the Britannia Residents everyday as an act of revenge for having the nerve to defend themselves when he sued them to have their long established and registered rights removed.
AT LAST, someone with the guts to say NO !!!!!
This is what happens when you allow trash in.
This is absolutely ridiculous and should not be allowed!
If there’s a big open area why does he need a pad? Just land where you want. Keep it natural.
Another day, another DART objection plan. Meanwhile the man and his company continue to add more value to Cayman daily. Typical fearmongering from Ezzard and his cronies and their use of their limited playbook;
Rule #1 = OBJECT
Rule #2 = COMPLAIN
and Rule #3 = See rules 1 or 2
Can Caymanians actually benefit from any of this new “value”? Only foreigners and their millionaire portfolios are being catered to.
DART is cooking in our kitchen.
Is it so much to ask for some of the food?
Is it not interesting that DOE is ok with Dart putting in a helipad but has demanded that the landowners who want a farm road to their farm land has to do an EIA before the road can be gazetted or built. But no EIA necessary for a helipad.
Is this really true about the farm road?
Can this be confirmed by placing the document that requires this?
This is totally absurd!
This virgin area of the Island has always been a quiet and peaceful area. Why would anyone want to build a helipad there to disturb it? Or is it to allow Mr. Moneybags the privilege of waking his own quiet piece of paradise where no locals can see him? If so I hope and pray that mosquitoes and ticks prey on him in hordes whenever he visits.
Dart, take your helipad and your helicopter and out them somewhere else preferably where the sun doesn’t shine!
CPA please allow our Mr. Dart to get this passed thru as he is only wanting the best for Cayman. Shame on you Mr Ezzard as only Mr Dart can get great things done.
Dartbot.
Ezzard complains about everything unless its his idea. I
Ezzard has zero understanding of volumetric parcels, hardly surprising.
ol dart clearly dunno that hutlandas are crazy, make him try to ruin their area.
How is it that Ezzard never voiced these concerns when Cayman Helicopters built a landing pad in the center of George Town, where the risk to the population is even greater…is it, that as an MP, he simply does not give a dam about Cayman, as long as it does not affect his election campaign or his bank balance?
More a case of all mouth and no substance
Um…wth? Ezzard is not an MP for GT dingdong. Should he deal with his constituency AND all of the others? So you can slap him up for that too…
The answer is simple. He is not the representative for GT. The people of GT opposed it, but where was the minister of GT at that time? Your guess is as good as mine.
I’m not a big fan of Dart’s, or their bullying culture, but it seems there helicopters taking off and landing all over the place without rules, let alone designated landing zones. There are no minimum flight altitudes for roof-rattling hovers, and fly-bys, which include those by the RCIPS on weekend bikini patrol. At one point CI Helicopters was landing at the Ritz and flying diners to Pappagallo for dinner. Let’s grow up, and have some basic flight rules and minimum rational safety standards, before the inevitable accidents pile up. Keeping in mind, our original $6mln police helicopter was destroyed via a failed take-off attempt.
This is absolutely disgusting. He has ruined the rest of the island, so now he has to move his BS to the northern districts?!! I pray this travesty does not go through. For the love of all that is good, DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN
The community? What community? Disingenuous Ezzard making hollow noise again, looking a few votes.
Whaaaaa!!!! Get a life.
Why can’t he drive to it like the rest of us? Helicopters are noisy and will bother the wildlife as well ad the people.
It’s not like it’s military helicopters flying over the only children’s park on the island twice a day, or anything
Helicopter Noise by Noise Fee America
https://noisefree.org/sources-of-noise/helicopters/
Kenny too proud to pass through all our roadside druggies and drunks like normal people.
Kenny not stupid enough to waste his whole day sitting in nonsensical traffic like the rest of us.
People who own land should be allowed to develop it within the existing framework.
Miller’s comment about Northsiders being prevented from benefiting from volumetric parcels is ridiculous. Imagine the outcry from Ezzard if multiple “tall” buildings were starting to go up changing the character of NS.
A lot of what Dart does is bogus but we shouldn’t be complaining that a rich landowner wants to put a helicopter pad on their big parcel of land.
Mangrove destruction and beach access complaints seem a lot more reasonable than this one.
1:17 You clearly do not live in the area because if you did, you would understand the complaint. Hutland is not a large place. Furthermore, it home for many older Caymanians who do NOT need to be disturbed by the noise and possible debris stirred up by an unnecessary helicopter pad.
While mangrove destruction and people being denied access to our beaches is very important, so is this. All issues of this magnitude deserve to be heard and fought.
Dart should have proposed to access his land via a canal from North Sound through the CMW. Ezzard would have approved straight away.
Ezzard dying for someone to open up access to his land for free.
All unsustainable development is unreasonable. No picking and choosing. The purpose of this alone is laughable at best and should be rejected on that basis. The environment shouldn’t have to pay for Mr. Darts Introversion. Why doesn’t he continue to use the helipad at Windmill Pointe? Which is already constructed and has a nature trail also?
Interesting reading
REPORT TO CONGRESS
Nonmilitary Helicopter Urban Noise Study
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/policy_guidance/envir_policy/media/04nov-30-rtc.pdf
“The review identified several socio-acoustic concerns addressed in the report. These were:
• Noise-induced hearing impairment;
• Interference with speech communication;
• Effects of noise on performance;
• Sleep disturbance;
• Cardiovascular and physiological effects;
• Mental health effects; and
• Effects of noise on residential behavior and annoyance.
The operational issues most frequently expressed were:
• Minimum altitude for overflight and hover;
• Operational routes & routing design guidelines;
• Hover duration time;
• Retirement of noisiest helicopters;
• Visible identification markings;
• Frequency of helicopter operations (number of flights);
• Time frame of helicopter operations (hours of operation);
• Heliports/airports operations (i.e., ground run-up duration);
• Noise abatement procedures;
• Noise certification limit stringency; and
• Implementation of noise reduction technology (i.e., helicopter “hushkits”).
Apparently Ezzard hasn’t noticed the RCIPS copters rumbling about over his district or the other one that does tours.
Typical lazy outer district politician who has garnered a well paid life off of a few hundred votes.
National Vote Now!
Flying overhead and landing are two entirely different things.
A national vote would produce several more Ezzards.
Be careful what you wish for.
Notwithstanding, I support a national vote, I’m a BOTC (Cayman).
Public use and private use are two different things, my friend.
As we all know with DART and the Dartbots, the helicopter pad is only the first inch before overreaching for the next mile. Helicopters are only the beginning.
RCIPS are doing their job – catching Northsiders and ‘Bayers running drugs. All of law abiding residents of the Cayman Islands shouldn’t need to hear and feel Ken Dart’s recreational douche journeyings to Northside. Talk about unnecessary.
They all require better regulation. Cayman skies should free from nuisance, flight paths should be directed off shore immediately.