Dart pledges to conserve land as it develops
(CNS): Cayman’s largest landowner has made a pledge to conserve one acre of natural habitat for every acre it develops in the future. The Dart Group, which is responsible for a significant amount of development on Grand Cayman, has also said it will not begin any new projects until the government completes the revised National Development Plan. However, the president of business development at Dart, Jackie Doak, has called again for taller buildings to allow new development to go up rather than out.
Doak made the ‘acre-for-acre’ pledge and the commitment to freeze development at the Chamber of Commerce Parliamentary Lunch last Thursday and claimed that Dart is committed to sustainable development. She said this pledge to protect pristine habitat would help Cayman meet the United Nations’ goal of protecting 30% of land by 2030.
She stated that for every acre “that is disturbed” by the developer it would commit an acre of untouched natural habitat to be held for conservation. Barkers, the Central Mangrove Wetlands and land in the Sister Islands are possible areas that could be earmarked for preservation under the initiative as Dart owns significant land in all of those locations, Doak said.
She did not say under what circumstances the land would be held and whether or not it would be handed over to the National Trust or the National Conservation Council or managed by Dart under circumstances that the conglomerate itself defines as conservation.
“We hope our acre-for-acre pledge is a catalyst for other developers and government to adopt a similar philosophy with future projects and commit to an acre-for-acre when developing untouched natural habitats,” she said. “By the stroke of a pen, whether by a voluntary pledge from others or through legislation, this could result in over 30% of the islands’ land mass forever being preserved, exceeding the UN goal for biodiversity.”
During her presentation, she said that Dart would continue to support sustainable development and saw the idea of “going up rather than out” as a way of reducing sprawl, which, coupled with greater setbacks, could allow local beaches to replenish.
“We hope that in Grand Cayman consideration will be given to increased building heights in designated zones, coupled with a long-term multi-generational plan for a development retreat from Seven Mile Beach, allowing the natural restoration of the shoreline.”
The Dart boss also said that because of the current lack of clarity surrounding planning and development, the developer will wait until the government has completed the long-awaited development plan before it begins any more new projects. Dart will instead focus on its multiple existing developments around Camana Bay and the Hotel Indigo.
This means that Dart is unlikely to move forward in the short term on its controversial planned area development in West Bay across the Esterley Tibbetts Highway where the proposed project threatens dozens of beach access points and some 40 acres of the remaining mangrove wetland in West Bay. Despite Doak’s claims that the developer is committed to sustainable development, Dart officials have challenged the NCC’s direction that an EIA will be needed for this PAD.
CNS has contacted Dart to ask them about how the acre-for-acre project would be managed and whether the proposed PAD will be part of the future development freeze and we are still awaiting a response.
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Category: development, Land Habitat, Local News, Science & Nature
History has shown he does not make these kind of moves unless there is something beneficial in the future for him….does this now mean the Development Plan will be completed in his interests at the forefront??
Big Joke.
He owns it either way.
Didn’t he pledge to preserve Barkers. What about Calico and his illegal beach cabana ?!!
What about antitrust legislation?
He owns 2/3 of the island AND has an exclusive Zero Tax Imports for himself and ALL his suppliers.
No one can ever compete with him again. He already owns the hotel industry and is also allowed to now rent cars and boats to his guests!!
I don’t think the concessions even have a time limit.
Cayman is GONNNEEEE
Wow, you just made at least 9-10 statements, none of which are true! It’s probably better that you didn’t provide your name as you’d have likely gotten that wrong as well!
Grand Cayman is pretty much ruined, and you know the Brac is the next target. So, Brackers, put your money where your mouth is. Refuse to sell your land to rich developers. Attend SI planning meetings to voice concerns. We do not want to be a party to the Brac becoming little Grand Cayman, with all the junk that involves.
That pledge is worth as much as a certain Actor’s pledge to donate her settlement from her ex husband. She should have said that a transfer of the property would be made upon the granting of the permit to develop their property.
Hope people get mad at Frank shilling the same way they do about Dart… At least Dart gives more back to the community ten times more than Frank. Haven’t seen Frank donate as much as a park LOL. People paying attention to Dart and getting tunnelvision forgetting that Frank owns a lot on island and in the brac. The Grove is just a makeshift wannabe Camana Bay and Frank has his eyes on the brac while people cry about Dart. Wake up
You are so right!
That pledge is worth as much as a certain Actor’s pledge to donate her settlement from her ex husband. Ms. Doak should have said that a transfer of the property would be made upon the preliminary granting
of the permit to develop their property. No transfer – no permit.
Seems reasonable, as long as the rule applies to all, including those seeking to build anything beyond their primary home, equally.
Always rich to hear the ghetto makers complain about Darts developments.
Can only think of one developer that buys things and then lets them waste away and crumble. They are everywhere now. One group.
Your disdain for people with less money than you is fully evident, Jeeves
Simple question.
Why does Cayman need any more development at all ?
Our economy seems to depend on constant growth yet we could reinvent it into a sustainable economy.
Anyone heard of Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth as a starting point?
When the conversation gets to 20+ story buildings then can fellow Caymanians not see it is time to change ?
Who are we developing for ? …the constant cry but then we allow more development.
We are developing for the rich developers so they can get richer. End of story. They have enough control that even an elected official with the desire to change this has their hands tied. Developers run and control our county right down to the politicians
Very good point Tom, totally agree
One of those age old questions, a bit like asking why men cheat on their wives.
Cayman is stuck in the Hamster wheel of a constant need for income.
This giveaway and handout self serving government is especially in need of maintaining revenue streams….then get NAU votes.
Man pledges sobriety during binge
Not to be trusted.
“the developer will wait until the government has completed the long-awaited development plan before it begins any more new projects. Dart will instead focus on its multiple existing developments around Camana Bay and the Hotel Indigo.”
IS THIS A PROMISE? OR A THREAT?
Really surprised that she is still allowed to speak on behalf of the Darts, after her embarrassing Britannia show.
Watch them brace for the Court of Appeal decision in Britannia. I’m getting the popcorn ready. This is going to be great!!!
The arrogance that knew no bounds is about to collide head-on with the Cayman Islands people who finally appear to be governed by at least some people who have an eye on the future.
Wow! Are you reading this Ken Dart? Time for you and your buddies to jog on. Certainly no love here for you
Schilling is about to rip out half of Cayman Brac just to get some fill. How much will he preserve in return?
Can you say “zero”?
None ?????
People don’t care about frank my dear lmao their small minds only have capacity to hate dart while they ignore all of franks ventures which are way less about and for cayman but lmao make them keep the anger and allow frank to move free lmaoo FRANK IS NOT AND DOES NOT GIVE a sh*t about the place. At least dart tries to give back and does bigger initiatives with everything from dump to turtles. What does frank do? Besides try to compete with camana bay with the grove and Starbucks in town 🤣
Hot lead for Franky he not going anywhere
i’ll take camana bay any day over the depressing unplanned slum development of gt.
well done cig again.
Just don’t give any of it to the National Trust. In their current form they cannot be trusted.
Rumor has it that the Trust going to hand all their land over to NCC and government as so-called protected areas because thats what DoE wants and has wanted from time- those lands and the Botanic Park also. Can’t trust Trust haha!
You are showing a complete lack of understanding of both the NCA and the NTA.
Lets start by leaving Britannia golf course as the perfect green space it is now.
Buy it then you can. Thou shalt not covet anyone?
Ummm, it is green space because that was a condition placed on the development of Britannia. It can now NEVER be developed. The deal was done 30 years ago!
Mrs. Doak tried her best at her special speech making skills in the “Dart Greenwashing” prepared speech.
Maybe the only people she fooled were the minions who attended the Chamber of Commerce meeting to hear about the revival of the GROWTH, GROWTH, GROWTH cartoons on social media and probably soon on any YouTube video we watch.
Dart and his Russian oligarch friends has made Cayman so expensive that Caymanians cannot afford to live here anymore.
This is how PPM described success, but success for WHO?
Dart is all about DART, nada about the longterm good of our Cayman Islands people.
This is the best one yet. Dart didnt get rich by being stupid. Kinda like Give me the old west bay road and I will build you another one which just happens to run through my property. If camana bay goes to 50 stories how much more land will he need!
Actually, Dart got rich by being born.
The American way
And stayed rich by not being dumb.
A pledge is not binding…NEXT
That is true and Dart is not trustworthy.
Sad but true, Anonymous 8:.05. Mr. Dart reminds me of cancer.
It’s the same growth model!
Dart is only taking advantage of the complete lack of planning by successive governments. Where is the long term development plan? Vison 2008 or any of the other studies sitting on shelves at the CIG Admin building. Yes Dart is all about Dart, but sadly CIG is not about Caymanians or our future.
Dart shows the way once again. Hopefully Caymanian developers will follow without too much trouble.
How to Greenwash, and ask for special preferential and offensive legislation “with the stroke of a pen” in the same breathe.
You mean the ones that that helped the National Trust buy central mangrove for purely altruistic purposes? Not to keep up their sleeves to play underhanded poker with our Islands and our future?
Got citations?
Yes. Hundreds. They are in the National Trust membership lists throughout the 1990’s. Contractors. Developers. Investors. Lawyers. Bankers. All raising and donating funds to preserve flora, fauna, land and heritage. And they did it requiring and expecting NOTHING in return.
So you don’t have any citations then is what you are saying. Purely speculation.
First hand knowledge dahlin’. Not speculation. How do you think the National Trust acquired all its land if not by generous donations (large and small) from the great and the good?
Still not a one citation
Oh bless your little soul 7:43am.
Which one is worse?
DART buys 10k Acres, develops 5K Acres…or a “Caymanian Developer” buys 25 acres…develops 20 Acres.
Who has still DESTROYED MORE???!!!
TwiddleDEE
Why would anyone want to consider anything that takes from the people of the Cayman Islands?
The same thing that makes them try to get everything from any source.
It’s called greed.
A few DARTBOTS woke up this morning!
Yep, sure, let’s all follow Dart as your self appointed leader.
Surrrre he will…. He has done such an amazing job on Grand, We can see how much land he has protected over there… Damn he had graves dug up to build condos..
Citations needed
No that’s NCB’s jam.
Where?
How about DART just decide to stop developing ? Enough is enough now
The only one I know who can get Dart out of our lives is the Queen. He can’t buy our Queen!
Too late. There is nothing left to conserve.
“develops in the future” – but only likely if the country let’s us go higher, say 20/30/40 storeys. Then the number of acres for conservation drops like a rock.
Is that the bottom line?
Perhaps they should take a walk around 7MB like I did with a visitor and explained the derelict sites of Calico Jacks, Royal Palms, Britannia Hotel and the security fencing and shambles at Coral Beach were his direct attempts to Make the place look like sh!t so his next application at Barkers would go through. Enough is enough….
Cayman Islander too…who owns these wrecks? 18 years since Ivan, PACT should exercise eminent domain and claw back all derelict property to the crown. There is a Lands Law with rules, if they want to read that.
Who does own Cayman Islander? Not who you think.
Come on DARTBOTS, ya sleepin too late today, wake up for your thumbs down campaign!
as usual… dart is a million miles ahead of every other developer in cayman when it comes to the environment and sustainability.
prove me wrong.
DART have not pledged to protect a single acre in the Cayman Islands until they get their preferential legislation on building heights. Environmental extortion isn’t a leadership position anyone is asking for.
Isn’t fleeing countries to avoid paying your taxes or other dues illegal?
I read somewhere that Mr. Dart had left several countries for failing to pay his debts. Is this true? If it is, I wonder what he did to get the Cayman Islands to accept him???
He talked to Big Mac.
The distressed debt vulture now gobbling up the Cayman Islands
Having made a fortune out of the woes of countries such as Greece and Argentina, Ken Dart’s next challenge was how to spend it. Cue a spending spree that has made him the ruler in all but name of the offshore tax haven.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/the-distressed-debt-vulture-now-gobbling-up-the-cayman-islands-a6729521.html
Nice try to big up your boss Mr. Dart.
Dart is a destroyer for Dart’s benefit, the environmental damage or any other thing or people, like the Brittania owners, that get in his way will be destroyed, that is the way he operates.
He is called a Vulture Fund operator for very good reasons, millions of poor people worldwide know that and he knows many would like to find him, that is why he hides from public view.
Vulture culture is afraid of the people hurt in the wake. Dart is a vulture capitalist, just like his buddy, George Sorros.
Together they bankrupted Greece and Venezuela — don’t think Cayman is immune from such economic attacks.
Did you mean to add – in destruction of environment and Caymanian businesses?
You are being played. And comparison to developers is is not a laudable standard.
there’s two ends of the scale 1:24, the end of sheer volume of development or the the end of wrecking the environment ? 🤷🏽♀️
I don’t have to prove that. It is quite obvious.
Easy to make the pledge 20 years into slaughtering the land. Then have the nerve to ‘challenge’ other developers? Get off your high horse.
This is BS of the highest order. He’s playing with you people now.
Finally Caymanians are waking up to the damages Mac, Alden and Dart are doing to our three Cayman Islands.
Our children cannot afford to live here, mine will not be returning to live after they complete university education, too hard to get started on the salary.
This makes me angry and sad.
Thanks Mac, Alden and Dart for nothing.
Jesus. Talk about closing the door after the horse gets loose!
I simply cannot trust Jackie Doak.
Was Mrs. Doak the Dart spokesperson who said the Tunnel was a pedestrian crossing from Caymana Bay to Royal Palms?
Really all 600 feet of it?
Who does Dart think can believe one word he tells his employees to say?
Not even Sandra can convince me of that.
Mr Dart and Mr Shilling are great people only care about Cayman. They are creating so many wonderful jobs. Love you men
Yes great jobs for the foreigners they keep bringing in
Neither are benefiting the Cayman Islands nor Caymanians, just themselves.
As uncle Cadian would say, a promise is a comfort to a fool
The ‘Sea to Sound Queen’ with another platter to whet your appetite
Excuse me for asking, but who exactly is in control of the Cayman islands? Is it this developer or the duly elected government? After reading this I am not quite sure as it seems this developer is granting concessions, which while very magnanimous, does raise some worrying questions.
To answer your question “Who is in control of the Cayman Islands” see Mac’s and Alden’s agreements with Dart:
WebLink on CNS Library:
https://cnslibrary.com/national-roads-authority/
NRA Deal:
The so-called NRA Deal was an agreement signed by the Cayman Islands Government, the National Roads Authority and Dart Realty (Cayman) Ltd.
NRA deal, 15 December 2011
Amendment to NRA deal, 28 April 2012
Amendment to NRA deal, 25 July 2012
Amendment to NRA deal, 30 May 2016
Dart drafts and amends laws sends them to Cabinet then they by the terms of the agreements have to send them to Parliament as received.
Now ask youself the question again, “Who is in control of the Cayman Islands?”
One has to wonder if these deals are actually legally binding since they are not executed or witnessed by the appropriate Minister/Cabinet leader/Premier/LOGB. Why would something so pivotal to future evelopment in the Cayman Islands, in each case be counter-signed by a lowly middle-office staffer? Doesn’t look right.
https://caymannewsservice.com/2015/07/nra-dart-and-shetty-deals-unlawful-says-auditor/
There should be no question who is in control of
Cayman. Just look around. For those who cannot or refuse to see it is Dart. Next question.
It’s the voters of Cayman who dictate the situation here.
Whoever throws around the most money is the boss. This is the Cayman Islands, the best islands money can buy!
Nice try
Who is really getting a favour here ‘spin it for Dart’ Ms Doak’ ?
‘Build up’ and load up the infrastructure so that the extra acre becomes suffocated anyway.
I had to drive through Caymana Bay today, – a limp, fake, flaccid, phony locale comes to mind, kind of like, … gosh you people aggravate me 🌇🪀
Yea, fake as in Disney World, but that is fun with Micky Mouse, not at the fake Caymana Bay.
Yeah, this is doublespeak for made into a private mountain biking trail just for Ken and his buddies. This is like a ventriloquist dummy saying “read my lips”. She’s a puppet, and never trust a puppet.
If government approves for the height restrictions on buildings to be relaxed and increase the floors to say 100, do you think uncle dart would have to give up any acreage? Nope, zilch, nada, nothing, ZERO would be given to anyone or any entity. This guy is using this ploy to get his existing footprints to be increased whilst not giving anything away.
What about all the land they have developed to this point and cleared previously?
Why not start there if they are serious?
That seems the most sensible route to take.
Did someone lose their civil servant and politicians? Acre for acre? You taking us for fools or wha?
Exactly. Acre of SMB per acre of SMB disturbed by development would be a meaningful commitment. An acre of swamp in the middle of nowhere, picked up in competition with environmentalists for $2,000, is not even close to a meaningful commitment. Beads and mirrors Cayman. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN!
So incredibly out of touch and tone deaf, as they undermine the very foundation on which they build, and on which we all stand.
JD is not trustworthy so we cannot buy what she is selling us.
Cayman does not 30-50 storey projects or towers to satisfy their inflated egos nor do we want them. If they want a kingdom go buy up Cayman Brac and build their dream city over there. If Brackers will allow them to do it.
The Brac political leaders might think it would be great, but most of the Brackers would get little or nothing! That’s generally how things go over there. Remember the big helicopter/airport scam?
Thank God that idiocy didn’t go through.
That was always a ruse for Shilling’s big plan. You were warned at the time.
Most everywhere he goes Dart tries to get all he can from wherever he can. He cannot be trusted. It seems that Mr. Dart is the world’s greediest person. Why is he still grabbing everything he can when he is already a billionaire? Does it make you wonder??
Is he a Billionaire? We all assume, but has anyone tested that premise recently? Just because a spoiled rich kid inherits Billions, doesn’t mean they retain it. There have been some outstandingly poor headline investment decisions in recent years. Certainly terrible managerial decisions locally. What investors are the aerial property tours for? Why would they need these outside investors? PACT need to qualify developers by making them submit much more detailed plans, supported with performance bonds – interest bearing to the CIG. Not just the building costs, but the running costs, infrastructure, decommissioning plan, CSR contribution, and total lifetime project budget, before approving anything. That way, we never have tunnels to nowhere again, and Cayman’s public doesn’t get left holding the bag. Cancel the unsupervised duty waivers and concessions, and retroactively backdate to April 2021. So much damage has been done by the PPM and CDP it’s hard to unwind it all without professional audit.
Bullshit
Last line says it all
Why doesn’t Dart just fly off to some other “deserving” location and take his cronies with him?
Most other places don’t have greedy people running the country like the Cayman Islands. It seems that “Money Talks” are the CIG passwords.
He is safe here. He made deals with certain people and they work together to make things “better” for themselves. It must cost him some big bucks…………
but he probably has more than the CIG bank account.
If you believe anything that talking head said I’ve got some beach land in New Mexico for them to buy and develop
Poor Jackie does she realise that no one believes what she is trying to sell.
Zero credibility with a large dose of anti-Caymanian sentiments in her attitude just ask the staff
Yep. Those who hate us, but can’t leave us.
And the neighbors at Britannia…
Is it true she actually grassed her own yard with some of the grass ripped up from the Britannia golf course?
Who would do that?
Their must be some sort of motive behind this latest comment, it is not being made because the Dart organization has suddenly turned into Mr. Nice Guy. Just what is the real story?
More behind this than meets the eye at first glance.
It’s a calculated misdirection…greenwashing gesture that doesn’t give or cost them anything (not even a single acre), while simultaneously requesting preferential legislation change on already unpopular building heights as though the people of the Cayman Islands have no say in the matter! We should parry this offence with immediate cancellation of untracked duty waivers and concessions granted via NRA Agreements. The 220 acres of the Dragon Bay Lands should be clawed back to the crown for non-performance. That’s for starters. Then PACT can start telling DART what they expect from them as a corporate citizen, including a published and audited proportionate CSR commitment to the people of the Cayman Islands.
In DART Caymanians cannot trust
She is the worst ambassador for dart
Mrs Doak and Dart are all about building a new better Cayman without pesky Caymanians to mess up there fun and glamour lifestyle. This Cayman is for the elite Uber wealthy not for us. That is the master plan she won’t tell us about.
More lies beneath the surface.
Their big plan was to brand themselves as smarter than everyone and have us believe it – perhaps because they had some money, hailed from Michigan, and hired the sneakiest lawyers. I don’t think any of that ruse is working anymore, except maybe with backbenchers.
And Dart said they would relocate the Humane Society and Dart said they would offer a home to the Cayman Rugby Club. Has any of that happened? Nope! Dart has no doubt been good for Cayman but let’s get at least the Humane Society sorted before you start making other promises.
The same Humane Society which played a leading role in unnecessarily endangering the native wildlife in the Sister Islands?
No thanks.
That’s the tip of the iceberg. Read all 4 versions of the NRA Agreement to see all the various projects that were once promised and then snatched away via government time limits on legislation. They are not benefactors or philanthropists. Even their $3mln Covid Fund represented 50% of one month’s staff payroll they had fired the month before. Even Karoo was a smokescreen to clear a mangrove forest, and build a boat tunnel. We need to cut through this BS, glad to see others are finally doing the same. Nothing they do is for free, done out of kindness, or without a longer term profit angle. Culturally the ends justify the means.
And an Easter camp ground near public beach
PACT has nicely forced them to ‘ hit the brakes ‘ for now. Long shall it hopefully continue.
PPM was full throttle. PACT has applied the breaks. Dart is still scheming.
Too late. Island is already too built up,roads look like freeways, the tunnel is UGLY, any facility owned by Dart is overpriced.
Dart logic – we develop raw land making the natural environment better!
I seem to recall that the National Trust tried to purchase a large parcel of central mangrove wetland for the purposes of preserving it, in its entirety, in perpetuity for the Caymanian people and the flora and fauna, in perpetuity.
It was outbid by a developer. Who was that?
Are we supposed to be grateful? What response is Mrs. Doak trying to elicit?
Frank Schilling…
Maybe ask the National Trust how much they have accepted in terms of cash and land from Dart over time and see if they are willing to tell you. AS a former board member, I can assure you the amounts are considerable.
That information would be helpful.
Certain current board members, who are commenting above, will do everything in their power to keep that information from you, as it doesn’t suit their agenda.
National Trust has Council members, not board members- so you would know that, board member? As Dart donations go, not a single dollar or thing has come from Dart to the National Trust…