DP calls for 30-storey buildings away from beach
(CNS): Deputy Premier Chris Saunders has called for a conversation about a policy change that would allow for much taller buildings on Grand Cayman that are well away from the beach. Saunders has suggested this as a solution to the housing crisis that the country is now facing and to enable an increase in room stock for tourism while relieving the pressure on the domestic rental market. He said that “we need to go much higher” than the ten storeys currently allowed in certain zones, but proposed reducing the height limits on the coast.
Speaking at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon event Wednesday, Saunders departed from his scripted address on finance and economics and floated the idea of taller, mixed-use buildings across from the beach. He said it was a difficult conversation and acknowledged the opposition against much taller buildings, given the broader implications.
“We need to do something about building heights,” he said, as he set out the idea of motivating developers to move back from the beach. He said he believed that allowing them to go much taller inland would incentivize them to change their approach and eventually lead to people being able to see the ocean again.
“At least maybe before some of us die we can drive along the road and actually see the beaches,” Saunders told the audience. “It was madness to build that close to the water to begin with.”
He accepted that the issue was a controversial one and going off script was always dangerous for politicians, but he said it was a subject Cayman needed to talk about.
There was no audible cheer from those sitting at the Dart-sponsored table at the event but the Cayman Islands’ largest investor has been pressing for a policy change to allow its plans for a 50-storey tower, likely to be constructed on the overpass between Camana Bay and Seven Mile Beach. Dart has effectively frozen its current development until after the government completes the new National Development Plan, but it’s not clear if this review will include taller buildings and if it does, where they would be allowed.
Saunders said he did not want to see “crazy heights”, but inland there was room for 30 storeys, as the current limits were not working. He spoke about the commercial viability of taller buildings and the need to go up rather than out if the Cayman Islands is to reach the goal of preserving 30% of its land in a natural state and to enable more land to be used for agriculture and improving food security.
The population has increased by another 10% in the year since the census to almost 80,000, and Saunders told CNS after the address that there is now a housing crisis for those at the lower end of the market.
Soaring rents are compounded by the Airbnb market sucking away domestic rental accommodation and developers focusing on luxury projects. The deputy premier said a housing task force has been formed and the government will focus heavily now on addressing the interconnected issues of accommodating a growing population, the return of tourists and a more sustainable use of land.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: development, Local News
A question, international developers main theme to politicians is jobs, so in the case of the hotels, are they filled with locals versus imported workers?
Yes. Put it in Beach Bay Chris. Right in your neighbourhood. Advocate for that please.
Didn’t Manley promise poor people in Jamaica that they were going to get cheap or free land from the rich? After they took their savings and built houses infrastructure was given to his political friends? Didn’t he tell the US representative they were going to charge more for Bauxite from now on? Wasn’t that around the time when US started aluminium recycling? Didn’t he cause wealthy and professional Jamaicans to leave the country with the exchange control regulation? Hmm, don’t really see any comparison to Chris Saunders who is bringing in more money from wealthy people that could be used for low cost housing.
What we could press into the local interest is VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS. Lower insurance rated for houses after hurricane Ivan. Lower medical insurance rates for elderly people who will definitely need it. These are things to complain about.
Is there a way we the electoral voters can legally demand resignations of some of these MPs? Caymanians are unable to earn a decent pay to support the high cost of living in this country and this is what they are thinking? Caymanians can’t find affordable rent and this is what they are thinking? This speaks volume.
Massive volumes. Chris “Michael Manley” Saunders is out-of-touch with the Caymanian people’s best interests. At least he finally got to give a Chamber luncheon keynote speech, because Andre was traveling.
He is looking out for his nation. Who is going to remove him? His base is Jamaicans and who is to be blamed for that? Open ended Status grants.
Poverty is created by allowing poorer class people from overseas to populate our country and become wards of the state. Work permits and convenience marriages are the cause of much more than is visible.
I will NEVER vote for Mr. Saunders again!!!!
The Projects! Say No!!
What this fool does not realize is that a 30 story building , at say 4 apts. a floor , is 120 dwellings.
At 2 cars per unit, that’s 240 car parking spaces plus roadways etc. The large land footprint would require fill drainage garbage areas landscaping kerbing and so on.
The engineering cost of achieving 30 floors would take the unit cost out of the “affordable “ range for most Caymanians.
Think before you speak Saunders, being an overpaid minister does not make you wise.
Well Saunders is really getting desperate now. Clearly that his off script attempt at trying to buddy up developers. This is not Jamaica, although Sanders continuously tries to make it into Jamaica. There is no way Wayne will agree with this and i will bet my next paycheck that Mac will be pushing for it. Get you popcorn cuz this is going to get interesting people – i can smell another PACT loss of confidence vote – maybe this time the money man won’t buy them back together. NO IMPACT is a total joke.
Why are people so against taller buildings? Better for the environment to build up not out, and will allow an increase in more affordable modern apartments for caymanians and residents to live in with better views.
Think of the infrastructure that would be required to properly services such structures. Think of the Fire Services responses necessary. We are NOT currently equipped to service such structures.
Still, there are those that wish to force the issue. What we should be doing if we wish such structures is studying what is necessary to support them, and creating that support beforehand. Oh, silly me, what am I thinking? Preparing for the future in a sensible way? What a fool I am.
Hooray for Kenny, he is not longer the pact member with the dumbest idea.
How is Kenny Beach coming along by the way? Up to 10 million yet?
Nobody working on site…how long has it been.?
What exactly is going there.?
Does it have planning permit.?
Plenty parking.?
Amateurs, self serving amateurs.
Is it even possible here? I mean do we have the geology to anchor structures that tall? So much of the building land here is soft and porous even my little house needed 2 dozen 25ft piles
Surely tourists come here because it’s a Caribbean Island and not a crap version of South Beach?
Exactly right. Even those dozens I have talked with tell me that they are almost through with Grand Cayman, because it has gone from the sleepy little humble nature island to a mini-Miami.
It seems almost too late to me. Who are we building these highrises for? It certainly isn’t Caymanians, and ain’t that the shame of the century?
if you are going to go with that ridiculous height, then why stop there? what is the difference between 30 and 50? if you are going to ruin things… go big!
We not going to stop our chit until tourist stop coming because they can find this chit in Miami.
NOOOO to 30 story. NOOOO to 20 story. Hell I would say NOOOO to 10 story. 6 max. 6 is plenty.
Mr. Saunders, please cut the crap. The Cayman Islands is not Miami, New York or Los Angeles. We have our own identity, not that of others. I know talks, but stop pandering to big money.
P= Pointless
A= Aimless
C= Costly
T= Trifling
A former PACT supporter.
Planning for Singapore but looking more like a mini version of Kingston/Miami. We’ve lost the plot,Wayne is lost and buying time, Chris wants to be Premier, Kenny just loves entertaining the wealthy and Mac’s running things. You think cost of living is high then wait when the 30 storey toweew are built.
Whilst I don’t support it in any way, what on earth has it got to do with the cost of living?
When ignorance talks, only the ignorant understand.
Ok has this man lost his mind. Once again PACT Government piece a Cayman trash. I have never heard more trash coming out these so called MP’S in my life. Try start by helping Caymanians earn a decent hourly wage, so they can survive in this over expensive over rated country. Has he or any other MP looked at the mess our roadways are in with garbage. Nothing but trash everywhere you look. PACT Government right, they don’t even reply to emails when you send them. Am here lol. Nothing but a bunch photo opp MP’S earning over inflated salaries, while Caymanians suffer every day to survive in this land.
He’s not wrong. If we want to minimize direct impact to the environment, building up makes sense. Might not be culturally acceptable cause we like our space but it’s sensible if the goal is a high density population. The problem is, our roads, public transport, energy dependency, lack of proper waste management etc etc.
There’s a bunch of horses and politicians keep putting the cart in front of them. that isn’t going to change until there is a fundamental change to our education system and our electorate and it’s priorities.
The goal is NOT a high density population!
Not everyone feels the same way.
The challenge is producing a fair and unbiased public information campaign to inform the electorate and find a compromise that the majority can agree on. Dialogue over pros and cons needs to happen with transparency so that the people can make informed decisions based off facts not emotions.
Couldn’t have said it better @9:27.👍🏾
They do this all over the world. Wreck communities in the name of making more money. His towers won’t affect him. He will be ecstatic when there are 100,000 people. More money and power for him. There is no need for all this building. Also need to stop importing cheap labour to undermine wages and increase the cost of living. Young people will never get a job, experience or stability with the growth at all costs crowd running things in the world.
@10:19:
How does potentially tripling the population density minimise the direct impact on the environment? And what does this do relative to the indirect impact on the environment?
We seem to have different perspective on direct vs indirect. The population is going to increase…should we tear down mangroves or build taller buildings? Semantic argument maybe?
I don’t agree with the push for high population density but realistically speaking, beyond putting a cap on the population how else would you continue to develop without filling and reclaiming the wetlands?
My point remains that our current infrastructure cant handle our current population so I’d personally prefer to see different priorities than taller buildings on ppls minds. Fix the dump fix public transpo, grow some educated generations etc etc.
Yes the population is going to increase; however, the current natural population growth figure for the Cayman Islands is under 500 p/a. That sum reflects births minus deaths and is ex migration. We need not push for high density and high-rise accommodations. We can, if we have the will, manage a shift to a sustainable population growth and sustainable development rather than the unsustainable, greed-driven, overheated mess we have now. First move: develop and IMPLEMENT a plan to strictly limit migration. Concurrently, come up with and IMPLEMENT a plan to limit development. Foundational move: Caymanians must wise TF up and elect a Parliament and get a government that makes sustainable development a true priority rather than paying lip service to the concept as have the Panton-PACTless Clown Car and the former buffoons we had in government.
That would make sense… if only the country was on a sustainable fiscal footing. Unfortunately between debt interest, Capex and increasing (unfunded) liabilities, the country is $200m + short of making ends meet every year.
It wouldn’t take a lot of tax to plug the gap – around $2,500 per head if you include children and the elderly, or $5,000 per head if you only include working people. That equates to an income tax of around 10% on everyone, or more likely 20% on the middle class and wealthy.
…or we can keep the current model and try to grow our way out of this deficit.
If you are against both tax and population growth, you are simply against reality and math. Good luck.
You have just identified one of the OP’s ‘horses’ that need to go before the ’30 story cart’.
I genuinely can’t believe he said this out loud. Surely he didn’t listen what he was saying before he chattered out.
Just as we finally get one buffoon out, another one steps up to take his place.
Cayman, we will continue this slide backwards down the hill and look like idiots hoarding bananas. Or are y’all too busy getting loans on the newest car to pay attention what is and has already happened to our former paradise?
This is called pandering to developers and now open to the highest bidders
I don’t know why people voted for him. A child can see through him. He’s a snake plain and simple turning Cayman into another Jamaica. The answer to this is simple: cut out the Airbnb’s. The foreigners buy houses and rent them on Airbnb. How much of them is even licensed? Is government getting any money from them? Are they paying taxes? I’m sure they are not. Government needs to change from selling out to letting out. Expats can only lease land and houses. That way we have more houses for locals to rent. In many countries, these AirBnB are causing problems.
Government needs massive fines on unlicensed units renting to tourists. This would be better than huge hotels.
Nothing good has become of Jamaican socialism………beware of Saunders and his 1960 socialist ideas
Michael Manley style.
Good Lord, this has got to be the most idiotic idea that anyone could conjure up! Has he completely lost it? Total madness! This gang has got to be the worst administration these islands have ever endured. Only God knows what mess they will eventually leave these islands in. It is sickening.
That damn rubber lip fool needs to shut up! The last thing we need is more development. Our environment is already suffering
More development means more Jamaicans.
More Jamaicans means more voters for Him , Seymour Kenneth and Mac… that in turn means more votes for independence, just like his motherland Jamaica…
God help Cayman.
Ok. I admit this one not so good an idea, but watch this space!!
It looks like the money has gotten to him also. Stop kissing up to the developers and take care of your people not the developers. Cayman is doomed to being nothing more than a footnote in history if we continue down this path.
Was Saunders sharing his preference or speaking on behalf of PACT colleagues? The fallout is several do not agree with his publicly stated position and we’re not aware this would be shared with the chamber
Premier Panton don’t agree with your DP on this because it will be the end of your Pact Gvt including you Sir. Build housing for Caymanians and not 30 storey’s high buildings. And i’m certain some of your gvt MP’s will jump ship.
Your true colors are coming out now. Those who voted for you won’t forget this .And while your own Caymanians can’t get a place to rent with their children, shame on you.
Jamaicans voted for him.
Dart built those tunnels years ago. How many floors of units are now committed waste for political baksheesh?
We should all be grateful to Mr Saunders for the reminder of why after more than 20 years we cannot get a development plan even as development and our populations soars at record rates.
We keep electing persons who find it more politically expedient to pander to the developer class for 3 years and 9 months. They seemingly hope that these developers will put something worthwhile in their ‘collection box’ before they have to splurge for 3 months pandering to us the voters to get re-elected for another 4 years.
No Mr Saunders, we do not want 30-storey buildings; WE WANT A DEVELOPMENT PLAN!!
What’s the point? Even if we had one it would just sit on a shelf like every other $500,000 plan we had for the last 50 years.
NO! JUST NO!
Next Hare Brained suggestion…
The tallest building in Bahamas is Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar at 300ft. 28 stories, and it’s an eyesore. Tallest in Jamaica is 17 floors. The Ascent, recently approved in Jamaica, will be 26 floors, surpassing the country’s next tallest by 9 floors.
Who is ours for? The poor people of Cayman of course! 30 floors of them…in prime downtown Camana Bay with majestic ocean, dump, and bay views.
I call for smaller dinner plates for elected representatives.