NRA removes sidewalk signs but MPs’ billboards remain
(CNS): The National Roads Authority and the Department of Planning have removed around 55 unauthorised A-frame signs across Grand Cayman that were encroaching on sidewalks from West Bay to East End. The island-wide sweep at the end of last month focused on signs within the roadway shoulders, sidewalks and medians. However, the billboards in districts posted by some MPs and a number of other signs have not been removed.
The NRA said that business owners who place these private signs on sidewalks present a danger to people using the pathways. “These signs pose great risk to our pedestrians as they may have to step out into the road to avoid the sign,” said NRA Managing Director Edward Howard.
Store owners are reminded that A-frames should always be behind the sidewalk, not within junctions or on sidewalks. The NRA and planning will be conducting these sweeps two or three times annually to manage the number of encroachment violations.
Asked about the MPs’ billboards by CNS, officials from the NRA said the focus was on A-frames and that the “billboards do not violate the Roads Act and as such are a planning issue which NRA cannot comment on”.
Under the Roads Act, road encroachments carry fines of up to $5,000. These signs also require planning permission and can be removed by planning officials at the owner’s expense. On this occasion, there is no indication that fines have been administered, and officials said the NRA was storing the signs at the Poindexter Road stockpile.
Call the NRA on 946-7780 or email nra@nra.ky
to report an encroachment or obtain more information or to retrieve a sign.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
The Law is quite clear on obstructions of the carriageway or the Crown right-of-way, including the Crown-owned shoulders of the public road road. In some cases, the Law prohibits certain obstructions within 30 feet of any road junction or inside bend of any road. Now, people, go out and see how many illegal obstructions you can find.
Excerpted from the Roads Law:
Definitions:
—“public road” means a road which-
(a) is maintained at public expense; or
(b) is dedicated in that capacity to the use of the public as of right,
and which, in either event, is declared by the Highway Authority to be a public
road pursuant to this Law;
—“road” includes the carriageway, waterways, bridges, culverts and fordings on the edge of the road, and the land on each side of the carriageway and waterways up to the boundary of the road; but does not include a mosquito control trail other than to the extent to which any such trail is declared to be a public road under this Law;
[Provisions in the Law regarding Obstructions:]
16. The following are, for the purpose of this Law, encroachments on a road:
(a) any fence erected upon or extending on or over any public road;
(b) any tree or shrub projecting upon, overhanging, fallen upon, placed or planted upon any such road;
(c) any obstruction caused by debris or refuse resulting from works carried out by occupiers of land adjoining such road;
(d) any pit, cutting or excavation in, upon or under any public road
otherwise than pursuant to approval given, and in accordance with any conditions stipulated by the Roads Authority;
(e) any pit, cutting or excavation, in, upon or under any land adjoining such road which is not sufficiently fenced or otherwise made safe;
(f) any stone, earth, timber or other substance thrown into or placed
in any watercourse, which impedes or may impede the drainage of water from such road;
(g) any artificial canal, conduit, pipe or raised structure from which
any water or other liquid escapes on to any road which would not but for the existence of such canal, conduit, pipe or raised structure have done so, whether or not such canal, conduit, pipe or raised structure adjoins the said road;
(h) any earth, stone or other substance dropped, left or deposited
upon such road otherwise than deposits authorised to be deposited in the course of road construction or improvement;
(i) any pipe, drain or discharge of water or other liquid on the road
from any premises adjoining such road;
(j) any discarded or abandoned vehicle or portion thereof dumped or
parked within sight from any public road; and
(k) any obstruction of a view contrary to section 18(1).
17. (1) Wherever there exists any encroachment on a public road, the owner or occupier of the land or thing from which such encroachment proceeds, or the owner of the thing constituting the encroachment shall, after receiving a notice thereof in writing from the Roads Authority, forthwith remove or abate the same at his own cost and in the event of non-compliance with such a notice by the owner or occupier, as the case may be, the Roads Authority may cause the
encroachment to be removed in such a manner as the Authority may think fit.
(2) Where the Roads Authority directs the removal of an encroachment under subsection (1)-
(a) the Roads Authority may, without giving notice, authorise any persons to enter upon any land for the purpose of removing the encroachment;
(b) neither the Roads Authority nor any person authorised by the Authority shall be liable for any damage occasioned by the removal unless the same is caused by such person’s wilful neglect or default;
(c) the cost of removal shall be defrayed by the person responsible
for the encroachment and shall be recoverable as a civil debt; and
(d) anything constituting the encroachment shall be forfeited, and the Roads Authority may sell or otherwise dispose of it unless the owner previously redeems it by paying all the costs of the removal,without prejudice to the penal and civil liabilities of any person
responsible for an encroachment.
(3) Where any encroachment consists of a building, the powers of the Roads Authority under this section shall not be assigned or delegated to any other person.
18. (1) No person owning or occupying land adjoining any public road shall
permit to be on such land within thirty feet of any road junction or intersection or the inside of any bend in such road, measured from the nearest boundary of such road, any hedge, bank, fence or other thing constituting a natural or artificial obstruction of view from the road of a height greater than two feet from the level of the carriageway of such road, unless permitted so to do by any other provision of this Law:
Provided that this subsection shall not apply to buildings lawfully erected before the 20th January, 1975.
(2) Anything unauthorised by subsection (1) which causes an obstruction of the view along any public road is an encroachment for the purpose of section 16.
……………
Ok, people: It is time to make formal complaints to the NRA about these obstructions.
NRA: DO YOUR DAMN JOB!!
In my time here I have learned that Cayman operates on a sweeping crooked line of white-lies, white-corruption and white-crimes. It seems nothing in Cayman truly operates on solid direction and law and order.
#leggewasright
The NRA is a total circus act. Strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.
Head on up to Cayman Brac, all ye who want to see Cretin Power in action. Take a look at what has to be the most pathetic situation in regard to obstructions of the government right-of-way that I can imagine. There you will see countless walls, garbage bin enclosures, fences, hedgerows, etc, all well over the roadward boundary and into the road shoulder aspect of the Crown right-of-way.
But this is not all, it gets worse; much worse.
The government spent millions paving roads with fresh shiny new black asphalt. Not long after this was completed, the Water Authority started laying water mains along the shoulder of the east-west main road on the north side of the island. Instead of doing the sensible thing and giving notice to the property owners to move the impediments on government land at the shoulder of the road and in the way of the pipeline, they simply went around the encroaching impediments!
As if this was not stupid enough, in many areas they had to dig up the new asphalt along the edge of the road with their trencher in order to avoid the encroachments and lay the pipe. Where there was once pristine and even asphalt is now a patch and a joint. Government has to repair the roads so people can keep on encroaching! This is still going on right now! As the pipeline progresses eastward, they are still digging up asphalt to avoid encroaching structures. As if that was not moronic and brain-dead enough, Government is paying crews to trim the bush and grass along the shoulders of the roads. In a lot of places this makes for a wonderful place for people to safely walk along the shoulder at the edge of the road even if there is not a cement sidewalk. Except from one thing: the damn encroaching crap! Just like the Water Authority had to do with their pipeline trench, if you go for a walk along the nicely trimmed shoulder of the roadway, in places where the encroachments exist, you have to walk out into the path of traffic to navigate around the encroachments.
Not all place where people have walls, fences, hedgerows, etc close to the road edge are into Crown land. But encroachments into Crown land exist in many many many places.
These encroachments are far more dangerous than just A-frame wooden signs! In one case in Grand Cayman it would seem that an apparently encroaching section of wall was hit by a speeding car with tragic and fatal results. Several of the encroaching walls on Cayman Brac have marks where they were hit and scraped by vehicles. If someone hits something encroaching over into the shoulder of the road on government land and they get injured, they should sue both the owner and the NRA.
I challenge the NRA and Water Authority to stop being morons and tell people to move their crap off government land. Give them proper notice and the appropriate deadline date. If their encroachments are not moved away in time, bring in the bulldozer and reclaim the right-of-way. The Water Authority should not have to tear up asphalt to get around encroachments. One should not have to walk into traffic or risk hitting a wall should one have to swerve to avoid a collision because the NRA is not doing their job and maintaining a clear and safe right-of-way. Do your job NRA! Do your damn job!
Semmes had to take his down but Kenny still got his up? Something not smelling good here.
Are the A-Frames/those signs in the middle of zebra crossings legal?
They tend to move left or right during all hours of the day thereby causing the driver to have to zig-zag when crossing through.
Half of them mash up already. Give them another six months max.
Where is my compensation for the land they have taken off me?
In the mail. Is the Post Office open yet though?
@9:38:
Did you file a claim in the proper form and within the prescribed time?
If not, then you are S.O.L.
Have they finished the Eastern Avenue/ North Church street link road yet? How long does it take?
Completely pointless road. Use the ones that already exist.
Bodden rd already there
For true.
If the NRA wants to do something constructive have them enforce rules on line of sight access from parking lots onto West Bay Rd. Landscaping blocking line of sight along with A frame signs makes entry onto WB Road a game of dodgem cars. The A frame signs like the for sale cars along the roadways will be back in a few weeks. Zero enforcement and Zero accountability.
If the NRA wants to do something constructive, how about they get on with the airport connector road.
Yes and pay a fair price for what they owe to the landowners they have taken land, and in a timely manner or pay interest!
@9:34:
Any land taken for roadways by Crown is subject to the law regarding fair compensation. It is up to the land owner to file a claim for compensation for the land taken in a timely manner according the well established rules. If the landowners in question have not filed a claim within the prescribed time, they are out of luck (and land). If the fair market value of the land area taken is found to be greater than the value of the benefit gained by a new or improved road, then compensation is due; if not, no compensation is due.
Ah political signs, the one sign we really don’t need, false advertising at it’s best. It would be nice if they were at least honest. “Like drugs? Vote for me!” “Interested in shady business deals? Vote for me!” “Want to beat someone up with no consequences? Vote for me!” Etc. Etc.
Crack is whack.
How about removing that silly “give-way sign” by Red Bay round-about. Jay crosses it every morning.
Sure, tag me as a simpleton but there’s something I don’t quite understand.
‘The National Roads Authority and the Department of Planning have removed around 55 unauthorised A-frame signs across Grand Cayman’
and,
‘The NRA and planning will be conducting these sweeps two or three times annually’
and here comes the puzzler,
Asked about the MPs’ billboards by CNS, officials from the NRA said the focus was on A-frames and that the “billboards do not violate the Roads Act and as such are a planning issue which NRA cannot comment on”.
so we have to assume that the NRA and The Planning Dept are going out separately and removing signs; and so Govt is paying for two entities to do the exact same job at the exact same places on different occasions, – right got it, reassuring nothing unusual is going on here.
What side walks ?
It’s as if they just woke up from a deep slumber. Why do some government services happen in fits and starts but are never sustained. Seems like the Chiefs don’t know how to best utilise their Indians to maintain consistent productivity. Then again productivity is rare in the Civil Service🙃
Because the leader of the opposition made a point about Kenny’s billboards. Token gesture, not even removing Kenny’s signs, then back to slumber.
4:04; come one; you actually expect anything to be done in Cayman that involves Govt until after-the -fact?
One must have a Doctorate of the Universe in Procrastination to even get a job interview; and an entire life-time of experience; most get jobs when they don’t turn up and are fired when they point anything out that has to do with Code of Conduct or duty.
Remember the motto: “Fire, Ready, Aim”
Rip them down!
Burn them!
No balls
Now that the Atlantis Submarine building is an active dive shop the inconsiderate employees/owners are parking on the sidewalk in front of the building forcing all pedestrian traffic to step down off the sidewalk and into traffic.
Lets stop this and the parking on double yellow lines for happy hour in town!!
Same situation at the fish market and the bar next door. The cars should be towed away and the stinking fish market closed. Tours want to swim there but have to access from the south side. Government do something useful.
What about the cars and taxis parking on the sidewalk next door to the south, on Kel Thompson’s land. As his shack is closed because he lost his planning approval, and cannot be used, Government should take it over.
Then closed hi own parking lot across the street in protest. LOL.
No McAlpines closed it and Kels lease has expired. So he is struck.
Fair enough, I stand corrected.
The United Church owns that building. What would Jesus do?
Apparently not allow parking
Maintain the roads NRA and respond to phone calls and emails please.
Please remove from Casanovas so wheelchairs can get past.
Same for Sandbar and others. I have seen wheelchair and power chair people having to swerve into the road. They deserve to enjoy our country just as the rest of us.
Sandbar has special privileged so just shut the hell up. That man has rejuvenated downtown night action single-handedly!Thank you Mr. Shawn
Remember folks. Don’t indicate right when going straight on a roundabout!
Baloney, it tells me if you are passing the exit where I am waiting. How does another driver know you are going “straight” when they did not see where you entered or if you are simply one of the many who do not indicate?
Always indicate while on a roundabout so EVERY other driver knows what you are doing. Then we can make a decision on our actions. Not indicating simply slows up the decision making and therefore the flow of traffic.
But that is the whole point, if you are indicating right but going straight on then you have not let the other drivers know what you are doing. Do you indicate right at a cross roads when you are going straight? This is not unlike putting on four way flashers when you are towing, driving slow or with an insecure load. Totally inappropriate and know one knows your intentions.
C’mon man we only got barber green on all our roads In the last 30 years. Besides we,s savin’ our indimacaters for a rainy day. They ware out ya know.
If you are indicating right on a round about then all drivers know your intention. Most will have no idea if you are going straight across and so would otherwise not know if you are coming off or continuing around, absent your indicating.
If you are at a crossroads and not indicating left or right it can only mean you are going straight across. No different on a roundabout.
Please tell me you don’t have a drivers license.
They will have no idea you are going straight across if your right indicator is on either! You know that an indicator is to indicate your intention to manoeuvre right or left?
No one knows where anyone is going anyway because three quarters of the people don’t indicate at all. TBH, I’d rather indicate right if I am going straight and then, once past the first exit, indicate left so the goober going right around in the outside lane is aware that I will be travelling “in front of him”. They’ll probably hit me anyway but at least I tried.
If you are waiting at the roundabout, you have to give way to traffic on your right anyway, the only indicator that benefits you is if they are indicating a LEFT turn before your entry.
2 or 3 times annually? Why not every time you are driving by? FFS!!!
Wouldn’t it be different if the NRA could apply the same amount of concern to labelling our roads with speed limit signage, lane flow/exits, indicator necessity, dangerous illegal parking/car abandonments, and of course, still the missing bicycle lanes, pedestrian sidewalks, and lighting.
A week after the sweep, Pepper’s and a few others were right back to it.
The NRA should confiscate the signs then. Just like with a misbehaving toddler. Can’t use your sign responsibly? Then you can’t have your sign at all.
Leave honorable Bush alone as all you people do is pick on him
He is the best man
LOL
Hope the flags mounted into the sidewalk by the FIN condos have been removed and destroyed.
They have. Now there are just bits of metal poking out the pavement for the unsuspecting to trip over. Where there’s blame, there’s a claim!
Those billboards illegal they must be removed.
Is it legal for cars to be parked on side walks? I saw a car parked on the side walk on Tropical Garden road all week-end
Is this Legal?
Drive a bit further down and check out all the blatant Planning law violations.
Speaking of parking in Tropical Gardens. Check Ocean Crest. Supposedly million dollar+ styrofoam condos, each built (as far as planning knows) with a “garage”.
36 vehicles in the parking lot for 16units and more parked out in the road.
GTFO.
While this kind of thing is en vogue. Who thought it was a good idea to have the sign in the junction at The Strand. Turning right onto West Bay Rd? I know what would help, a big solid bit of architecture.
Also, the crappy landscaping done on the roundabouts, when it’s being maintained by people who move slower than moonlighting snails, how about you don’t park your solid vans and pickups on or around the roundabout. I understand the need to drop equipment, but the vehicles don’t need parking on or by the roundabout all day, causing a distraction, as well as an obstacle.
Selective enforcement yet again, it’s the Cayman way.
#leggewasright
Ah yes, those signs are the problem but allowing these walls is ok:
https://goo.gl/maps/Gd3fLyZT3krtYEui8
NRA removes signs on sidewalks – good
NRA does not act outside its remit and remove signs erected outside of the road/sidewalk corridor on private property, as in the picture (leaving aside who owns the property pictured). – Also good (no Government overreach.)
Whether or not Planning responds to questions about their permitting or not of signs on private property is another question. And may depend on if you think the number of things needing Planning permission has gotten a bit overboard, or not. 🙂
There’s lots more being overlooked! Keep digging
Tear down those illegal billboards Wayne!