Trust starts petition against overwater bungalows
National Trust gift shop sign on Little Cayman 
Aerial photo of South Sound (Photo credit: National Trust for the Cayman Islands) 
View from Kingston Bight, Little Cayman (Photo credit: National Trust for the Cayman Islands) 
View from Kingston Bight, Little Cayman (Photo credit: National Trust for the Cayman Islands)
(CNS): The Little Cayman District Committee (LCDC) of the National Trust for the Cayman Islands (NTCI) has launched a petition in response to the proposed construction of overwater bungalows in the South Hole Sound Marine Reserve on the island, which the non-profit has described as “a matter of critical importance”. In a press release issued Monday, officials said they were deeply concerned about the precedent it would set and damage that it would cause in the Marine Park Zone if the coastal works and planning applications are approved.
“We call on our government to act in the best interest of our country and all its citizens and residents and preserve the integrity of the South Hole Sound Marine Reserve and deny the overwater component of the planning application and the Coastal Works Permit application for construction in the waters of South Hole Sound,” said LCDC Chairman Gregory S. McTaggart on behalf of the branch.
The aim of the petition is to provide a way for concerned members of the public to comment on the coastal works permit application filed for this proposed construction. The petition will be submitted to Cabinet as part of the response to this application.
“The National Trust finds it profoundly troubling that serious consideration should be given to construction in a Marine Park, particularly by a for-profit, private commercial concern,” officials from the non-profit said in the release. “The National Trust believes that it should be self-evident that a National Park must be off limits to construction under all circumstances and portions of it must not be given away for private use.”
The resort proposes around 18 or 19 over-the-water bungalows on stilts coming off a near 550ft dock. However, the application has stirred significant opposition since the details of the project were revealed.
If approved it will be situated in a Marine Protected Area, which the Trust stated emphatically “should not be disturbed but instead preserved for the people of the Cayman Islands” and the species the parks were legally created for over three decades ago.
“The overwater construction will cause material damage to an otherwise untouched seabed,” the Trust stated. “Several causes for concern arise such as, it is expected that the drilling necessary to place the support posts for the dock will cause sedimentation and turbidity that could severely impact the nearby coral reef. These posts would potentially change water flow and ultimately the surrounding shoreline.”
The Trust is also concerned about the changes in light and shadow to the nearshore ecosystem, which could disrupt the delicate balance of that habitat, an issue that researchers in other locations around the world are beginning to document.
The Trust said there is no way to mitigate this type of damage and that the long-term operation of a commercial business in the South Hole Sound Marine Reserve will constantly degrade the area. Debris pollution that will result from the inevitable, future catastrophic storm event will also spread far and wide throughout the reserve.
“All the people of the Cayman Islands, to whom this Park belongs, will no longer have the use and quiet enjoyment of the area taken for the development, the Trust said.
While the developers have sought to defend their project following the social media backlash, claiming that they had a lot of support, it is evident that public opposition is mounting. But making that public opposition heard during the process remains difficult, as those who can object to the Cayman Brac and Little Cayman Development Control Board is limited to the immediate neighbours. But as a coastal works application requires Cabinet approval, members of the public can lobby their political representatives to make their concerns heard.
As well as signing the petition, anyone can submit their comments directly to Cabinet by emailing the chief officer of the Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency at coastal.works@gov.ky. The deadline to do this is 13 August.
The NTCI urges all concerned about the protection of our Marine Park System to file their objections to the granting of this application and construction in South Hole Sound.
See the petition in the CNS Library and more details on the LCNT Facebook page.
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Category: development, Local News, Marine Environment, Science & Nature
You have to think. Approve one 19 unit over the water in the sound will become 10 – 20 resorts with on the water bungalow sound resorts. What airport, restaurants, supply chain can support this on little cayman. Little Cayman will be lost.
One must not abuse the Queen’s Bottom! This would be an egregious precedence that could set loose an avalanche of applications for similar abuses to Her Majesty. Better to nip this plan to obfuscate ownership of what clearly belongs to all Caymanians in the bud! I wish I could post a photo here of the huge two storey dock at Brac Reef Hotel that was swept away, driving ram rods into the hotel… by an indirect hit from Hurricane Paloma. This plan appears to me to be either ignorant or willfully inconsiderate. Thoughtlessly doomed shoreline construction by the wealthiest in the past (and it has continued until this new CPA Board, which now has a chance to shine) is why all of our insurance rates are so high now. Please deny this application!
UPDATE: You can visit the National Trust office in Dart park on GCM to sign the petition between 9:00am-5:00pm, weekdays. The deadline to do this is 13 August 2021.
As a frequent visitor to Little Cayman I find this article disturbing. I support the Trust in there efforts to get this proposal canceled. The beauty of Little Cayman is its natural resources and pristine lands and these assets need to be preserved. Please do not let this construction happen to little cayman.
I support the National Trust.
I do not support the greedy ‘Caymanian’ developers pretending to give a shit.
Hope government keeps them in their place.
I suspect the majority would agree.
OKAY it looks like the hysteria of GC is spilling over into Little. Having stayed at the cabins located on the proposal including a very nice and useable PIER! These structures according to Fish and game organizations provide shade for marine life. I find. the hysterical comments from people who know nothing of the site to be ridiculous! Greg should know better! The over the water cabins I must admit are a challenge to maintain in a hurricane but that is a risk the developers must take. As to the rebuilding of the existing cabins and restaurant these improvements are long overdue.
Nope, just like Bracrs, people from GC know Little Cayman longer than you. We no more ridiculous than you an idiot. Keep drinkin the rum bro.
So let us look at the composition of the Development Control Board.
Chairman – son in a position of influence in government
Deputy – married to contractor who does work in Little Cayman.
Scott Development employee on Board.
Minister of District Admin & Lands – church member on Board.
So for a variety of reasons 4 of the voting members should excuse themselves from the meeting, leaving no quorum.
Do I need to go into more details of why 4 voting members should not be in the meeting? No.
Yes. Because being a member of a church seems a thin excuse to bar someone from a board. So please do go into details and specifics of your thinking.
If the bungalows are built, that means I should be able to extend my house over the Marine Park that I am in.
I don’t agree with this Maldivian clone proposal and I also don’t reside in Little Cayman (or now called “Little” , as the new guard entitled call the place). It will be very interesting, and telling , to see how CIG/Planning conducts themselves under the scrutiny of their peers in the granting or denial of the proposal and if the environmental concern gets tossed under the back axle of a DOE F250. I have a fear that the almighty development dollar will prevail , hopefully I am wrong.
This will not be allowed ‘cause Wayne Say So.
Wonder Lane looks like it’s getting a new road courtesy of CiG. Who’s paying for that??!! and what the heck for or is this already a a done deal?
I really hope there’s widespread consumption by the population of todays release from the UN about global warming, ‘Code Red’. We’re pretty much at the point of having to mass protest the current f*%k you, arrogant, self serving ambition we’re witnessing from our ‘good stewards of land’ developers because they’re certainly not exhibiting an ability to self regulate to local and global concerns by adopting a consideration for all and future generations, – time to act and embrace responsibility
https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/08/1097362
We demand to see the development agreement and the concessions granted to the developers by PPM and negotiated by Joey Hew the former minister of planning. PACT must share all the details of this unnecessary mess.
Yeah……. And what did those money grubbers get for selling out more Caymanians?
You DEMAND…?
Wow that’s got us all shaking in our boots.
Greed has no boundaries- never satisfied no matter the destruction to our Beloved Isle Cayman.
Just when I thought that the only things allowed to float on water in Cayman were sargassum, people and trash. This must be a proposal for the latter.
Taks a look at what is already happening along Seven Mile Beach – beach erosion – due to development. Minister Panton says he will address this. Please do not let this happen on Little Cayman. Reject the Coastal Works application.
I agree with the majority here – this proposal needs to be denied! Absolutely denied!
Where on Grand and Brac can the petition be signed? For those without FaceBook.
Trust Office on each island will liekly have the petition.
Go Trust! Good luck.
All eyes on PACT. seting the precedent for the next four years.
Who actually owns ‘overwater land’. I though most private properties have their boundary at the high water mark – as such who is actually selling this land? Gov?
1:20 It is crown property also know as the “Queens bottom”. It can’t been owned by anyone which is why this proposal is so ridiculous and dangerous as it opens the floor to a whole host of similar projects. What is the point of having marine reserves if developers can just build right over them!? If this goes ahead it is a mockery of our protection system.
Sell is not the right word – give away is the expectation probably.
Queen’s Bottom?
Yes, that’s actually a legal term.
NIMBY – Not In MY Back Yard is clearly very prevalent in Little Cayman.
This resort will have minimal impact on the environment. The people supporting this petition against this resort simply don’t want ANY development on Little Cayman.
They hide behind the facade of the environment. The reality is if they could press a button to stop any new buildings on Little Cayman, then these people would press that button for their own selfish reasons.
The Maldives and Jamaica both have these same type of water bungalows and there are no issues there.
This post is entirely untrue. The objection is not to the land based portion of the developers’ project, which is also substantial. It is about the over-water portion in a MARINE PARK.
You tell them, Guido! This”Truth” is a troll .
Good , stop that destruction of South hole Sound, leave it as it is.
Can anyone sign it? For example does it have to be Caymanians only like the cruise port referendum or can anyone and everyone sign? Thanks! 🙂
Good question. If non-Caymanian’s can sign, please post on a site and I gladly will.
Please don’t let this happen.
If this goes ahead, it’s almost a recognition that all hope of preservation is lost. Heartbreaking.
Well done LCDC! Hopefully many people will sign. The proposal to hand over a significant part of a Marine Reserve to a developer is outrageous.