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.
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Category: development, Local News
How much crack cocaine would you need to smoke to believe poor people were going to be the admitted tenants/unit holders in DART’s Camana skyscraper?
How selfish can Chris be? Did Chris consult with the people of these islands before he makes a statement like this? Of course not as he believes he run things. He is dying to be the Premier.
No one in their right mind would want a 30 story building on these tiny islands. We already got too much issues with too many people now. Imagine the waste a building with filled with 30 floors of occupants would generate not to mention the traffic.
UGH. Once again the politicians propose enriching private landowners and not extracting any concessions from them to benefit the average Caymanian. No way Bubba.
Caymanians get nickel and dimed everyday, but the projects of the wealthy, well we just change the laws to accommodate them.
Imagine the best solution this man has to the unsustainable importation of foreign labour is building 30 story council tower blocks. Well they say people get the government they deserve, this man’s race based politics has seen him rise to the top. Instead of focusing on ensuring children in government schools receive the same quality education as their private school educated counterparts he’s taking steps to do the exact opposite. What a sorry state of affairs.
I want to see 2022 Cayman 🇰🇾Building 👷♀️Code
• Fire 🔥 Protection System 💦🧯🪜
• Fire protection requirements for high rise 🏙 buildings.
• Firefighter 👩🚒 service requirements for high rise buildings
• Firefighter 👩🚒 qualifications for high rise🏙 buildings
Since 2016, Cayman’s Dept of Planning has purportedly used 2009 International Fire Code, “in relation to the protection of life and property from the hazards of fire, explosion, or dangerous conditions in new and existing buildings, structures and premises”.
But, if you contact the CI Fire Service, I suspect they might not have a copy of that or know what you’re talking about.
PwC Report: CIFS Competency Mapping pages 36-37:
http://www.cifs.gov.ky/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/12582395.PDF
and what shall we call this new place dip**** DP, ‘Dip**** Utopia’ because it’s certainly not going to be ‘Cayman’ 🤠😡
Where one can see Cayman Fire Code?
It’s supposed to be IFC 2009, but I’ll spare you the $150 *.pdf download: we ain’t following it.
Mr. Saunders, the correct name for 30 Story building for affordable housing is call the “Projects”
Let me guess.. lets build them over the dump.
Homework assignment for Saunders: Watch season 1 of “The Wire”.
#lame
Do your research with competent advisors: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/jul/11/skyscrapers-wasteful-damaging-outmoded-time-to-stop-tall-buildings?fbclid=IwAR15crWr85CxFT_RZEUDJBX2fk2IawegmvX9iE_xTw6N1L-W6gsPhSTfJxQ
He’s gone completely MAD!! Does he actually think this is a good idea?! Honestly, not a good idea at all!
Well, actually…. He doesn’t think, and I’m sure he has other problems as well.
You know these new breed of representatives and ministers should really stop sleep walking and talking. No one in their right mind or who is wide awake ( no I do not mean this woke rubbish) should be uttering such nonsense. Where exactly on this little 2×4 rock are you thinking of putting these 30.floor apartment buildings? Chris Saunders you were elected to help ensure that we are better off when you leave than all of you claimed we were when you were elected. The PPM, whom you all are always tearing down did not step down to this level. Caymanians are not ghetto people, yes we still have segments of the population who still need a helping hand to lift them up but the poorest of us are not pining for 30 floor ghetto apartments. But then again, perhaps you haven’t given a though to what Caymanians want , perhaps you have others in mind to buy and fill up these apartments. If you have been paying attention to our history we Caymanians always preferred a singly family house even no matter how humble. We were never interested in living like sardines in a can,. We always appreciated our privacy. As I said if you had been paying attention you would have known that. Have you given any thoughts to the other infrastructure needed to accommodate 30 story apartment blocks. Please ask Mr. Imparato how his idea of drastically changing the high rock area with his harbour and plans to take over section of the scenic road to take us through the back roads how that turned out for him. We will again protest and stop you if you ever dare to. Please tell whomever whispered this in your ear that you made a mistake because you are making a huge mistake.
He did say in public that he was going to ‘mash up the dolly house”.
Everything’s gonna be alright – one love and free fruitcakes at Christmas.
well ultimately it seems as if we need to make a decision between having very tall buildings or the destroying of environmentally sensitive land such as the magroves. dont think you get away from this decision.
In Dubai, Bahamas, so many other places – they reclaim land. (They also build up of course but they’re also much, much larger land masses and can accommodate the staggering tall buildings and all the infrastructure those developments require).
We should reclaim land – start by Reclaiming the southernmost part of the North Sound and creating waterways thru the reclaimed land is the single most sensible idea i’ve had this afternoon. Multiple square miles, can be zoned medium and high density; can also resolve much of the traffic problems as would enable a road network bypassing RedBay/Grand Harbour altogether.
Reclaim the land. Its easier to put out a fire on a lower floors than on the 30th. And a lot easier to have a decent water pressure!
Any half decent ‘town planner’ could sketch it out.
WOW! You did summarize my thoughts when you stated: “the single most sensible idea i’ve had this afternoon.”
My suggestion… Don’t publicize your “single most sensible idea”; it is not, NOT GOOD! I can only imagine your thoughts that you had lesser respect for.
Re-reading your comments, you really are not well-educated on the parameters for which you are speaking of. But then, you may be more informed than a particular Caymanian Minister who will promote this concept – Be well.
Idk what you are on but we have so much reclaimed land. You think grand harbour, the shores, yatch club, patricks island ect ect all come like that. Lol, go home bobo you are drunk.
The truth is that much of Seven Mile Beach is reclaimed land. Where Plantation Village, Sunset Cove, Crescent Point sit used to be mangrove swamp. We could start with reclaiming some of the sand in the water and putting it back on Seven Mile Beach, or getting more sand from elsewhere.
But can a 50 story erect tower withstand a category 5 hurricane? I recon that tower would be swaying in that storm more than a BBC in Batabano carnival.
Safety is utmost important!
😂👍
With limited resources where does one apply ‘the safety’ – The Tower or The Carnival ?
Simple. If don’t want to get hurt avoid the BBC and the tower’s radius when Mother Nature be banging dat around all night long!
Why? There is still land to develop on SMB. Why build this high up. I think this is a “don’t look over here” moments this government does. a distraction for something they are really conjuring up.
Mr Saunders, who are you planning on catering to? Is it the average Caymanian that your trying to help? I think not! Look at the One Gt that your compadre KB was promoting and congratulating the developers on live news in central GT! I doubt any of his constituents will be an owner apart from him maybe, This is a inland hi rise away from the beaches as well! One bedroom starting at over half a million kyd dollars, and it’s only 10 stories! Now imagine the construction cost of a 30 story with developers getting their ROI the cost of such a unit! None of you elected are looking the best for lower and middle class Caymanians! A whole Caymanian household combined does not make your salary! Try to remember that !Sit down fool, and think of something that will put our people that struggling first!
Well said.
The accounting firms are growing, the law firms growing, other financial services industry growing (except banking), which means more and more people are coming here, and in turn means more teachers, construction workers, service etc.
Unless you limit these firms from growing, people will need places to live. So to me the idea of higher vertical density inland housing makes sense. It is much more cost effective to add floors than buy more land.
Who are we building for? Caymanians?
Who is benefiting most from our economy? Caymanians?
We lack so much Caymanian protection legislation and policies to protect Caymanians in the Cayman Islands.
Saunders speaks a good game, but he lacks the testicular fortitude (if not integrity) to let his words and his actions coincide.
He wasn’t speaking such a good game when he begged employers to give Caymanians equal rights….so much for Caymanian priority in their own country. That was destroyed by Alden and Roy and continued to me ignored by Chris and Wayne.
i think you do not tell the whole story.
shame the public education school are not preparing Caymanians for these jobs.
it’s too easy to get a development permit. You want 10 condos? Donate a park. You want 50? Include 5 affordable units. You want 100 room hotel? Build a public golf course. You want a 1000 room casino? Build a new airport.
Saunders must NOT want to be re-elected with comments like this, NO CAYMANIAN or expat for that matter wants any of this nonsense.
Think small and worry big! not because the island is small means you must think small.
No we must think sensibly though!
Absolutely not! Geddouttahere, Saunders!!!
Who in their right mind would want to live in a 30 story building????
Common walls are bad enough with townhouses and condos. If he’s thinking low cost housing, good God, projects here we come… SMH…
Billionaires usually buy top floors in skyscrapers. It’s a thing. Travel more, you’ll see. NY, Malaysia, Hong Kong, etc..
OK Billionaire, if you say so…
Cayman cannot be compared with any of those places and yes, I’ve been to those you’ve mentioned and a few others.
Saunders’ true market target.
Not in projects.
Funny that he thinks we need to build up, but if you look at these national housing developments, they are so inefficiently built. Why does a project house need to have its own acreage of land? Why not build townhouses or semi-detached houses and build a lot more properties? Fix the problems like this and the dump before you start having stupid dreams like this.
It is customary for a guest speaker to be given a small thankyou gift for being speaker at a sponsored lunch. I guess this speaker thought it more appropriate to give the host a gift. So thoughtful. SMH.
I agree with the DP. I do believe there are a lot of things to consider, but it is inevitable that there will be population growth and Caymanians need to be able to live in their own country. Right now most Caymanians have to live in the Eastern districts and battle 2+ hours of traffic to start and end their days. There needs to be limits, there needs to be real conversations with all players, NRA, planning, water authority, CUC and the telecom companies; but I do think this is a better way to deal with this. I think the set back on the coast should be increased, keep those on the coast at 10 stories as he noted. This is probably the best way to protect the natural environment as he mentions.
There would have been a time when I was against this, but I think this is coming. For those of you thinking this is PACT thinking, I guarantee you PPM does something similar. I’m sure they already discussed increasing the limits before. At least with PACT, they will develop a proper plan for it and ensure that Dart doesn’t get carte-blanche with it. I promise you will get the same and probably worse with PPM. They are definitely in Dart’s pocket. At least this way we protect some of our heritage and environment.
If we increase our population any more there will be no Caymanians left to live in their country. We are dying at least 6 per week so in a few years all 15,000 of us will be gone. Killed by stupidity, greed and having to contend with the thousands of riff-raff that have invaded Caynan
Maths not your strong point. 15000/(6*52)=a few?
Population growth is inevitable. I’m not saying to put a number on it, but Caymanians will reproduce and whether or not expats stay, there will be more people here eventually.
Stick your head in the sand if you wish, it’s obviously not a popular opinion and that’s ok, but the Cayman Compass made the point that Cayman is the size of Manhattan, so space we can make ourselves into a much larger jurisdiction. I’m not saying that is what should happen, but if we do not have calm and rational conversations, then we are heading to lose our identity completely.
I live on SMB. For those I interact with (contractors, tradespeople), they live in GT and WB; none travel from East End.
It does not make any sense
Maybe we are heading to HK
Ghetto is as getto thinks. Cayman is top heavy as it is.
Hong Kong?
No, we aren’t heading to Hong Kong.
Spoken by a man who has never seen what an earthquake can do :-{
Housing for who??? This is a part of the product of the Status Grant to poverty stricken people. It’s not our problem to support these parasites.
We just cannot sustain this craziness. Saunders you and your cronies needs to start pulling these Status that have been given to “”undeserving “ criminals etc. – you also need to stop granting status and work permits. These people must go.
You’re speaking as if original settlers were rich people. Poverty was here from day one. Be thankful rich expats came with their wealth which assisted you peasants!!
Uncalled for. You lower your class to that of a social inadequate with comments like that.
@2.34 Do you realize why they came with their wealth? Wasn’t to help Cayman dummy, was to help themselves to more wealth! Don’t forget we are a tax haven amongst other advantages that’s why they are here. I’m one of the Peasants born here! Why are you here?
*Laughs in generationally wealthy Caymanian family*
(Due to hard work by each and every generation mind mind you…)
Jamaicans helping Jamaicans..you surprised..?
Elect Saunders Seymour and their Mac led clan and Jamaica is what we’re getting.
It’s a curious common thread of humankind that runs through all of history, applicable to all systems of belief, politics and economics. They all, without exception, want to build towering monuments to themselves.
And many end up like Ozymandias.
Yeah…… Who-ever Ozymandias is.
People are at breaking point but yet these absolute chumps just want to talk about pushing the over-development of Cayman.
What is wrong with them? Are they not Caymanian? Can they not see what they’re doing to their own country or is the mighty dollar worth more than the land of their forefathers?
They’re happy to sit back and watch hardworking families being forced to sit for hours in traffic but that doesn’t matter. Forget about that. Who cares?
What matters is building 30 storey buildings for those of wealth to live in for 3 weeks of the year.
These people need to give their heads a wobble and deal with the real issues.
Who you think is pushing this? They are starting to show their true colors now. Soon we will be MiniMiami.
And we’re already mini Jamaica. What a mess.
Think we are nearly there already
I think he’s been smoking the drapes
Where was this mentioned in the PACT manifesto? Oh wait … there is no manifesto
Can we just have an election please. None of these clowns were elected to do what they have been doing!
Slow this madness down..Us natives are losing our way of live.. it’s sad the amount of stress we are forced to live with. For Gods sake please Start by getting these “hang on” people off these islands.. no way they need to be here.
It’s “Money Talks” in the Caymans!
A lot more could be accomplished by allowing more density on land without going up that high. Properly designed townhouses, terrace flats and other developments would alleviate the housing crunch more than a couple of towers “away from the beach”. What does that even mean on an island as small as Grand Cayman?
I discovered in Ivan that I had a beachfront apartment which I bought for hundreds of thousands less than many paid for their beachfront properties.
Wish we had half the aesthetic pride and building practices that Bermuda does. No fast food franchises (BK,KFC,etc.), no proposals for 30 storey buildings, standardised roofing (for practical reasons) and so beautiful with the pastels, etc.
Our leaders consistently waste our $$$ on travel to and fro but can’t take their Cayman blinders off!
I am NOT happy with those pea-brained idiots that are bent on producing stupid and/or idiotic ideas trying to get richer by ruining the Cayman Islands for real Caymanians! Are there any Caymanians that love our island more than wealth??? They are certainly not in our parliament!
No……. but the Lodge has brothers in there that should be excluded.
Weren’t Lodge members prohibited at one time?
No. Both of the last two Premiers have been Masonic Lodge bros.
They are just going to be empty 30 story buildings because no locals will be able to afford them…
They won’t be empty. They just will not be affordable enough for Caymanians to occupy them. Neither PACT nor PPM is looking out for Caymanians.
They won’t be empty, because they aren’t being built for locals. They are being built for people richer than us; we are being told that we cannot survive without chasing the scraps from the tables of the wealthy.
You idiot. They will not be empty. They will be purchased but will only remain empty by those that need to hide their money.
Real estate is the best way to launder money!! There has been hints about this for a long time now.
He’s right about building too close to the sea. But so very wrong about buildings of 30 or more floors. Dangerous ideas from a dangerous politician.
i hate agreeing with him…but building up is the most environmentally sustainable way of development for cayman.
Well like him you also lack sense.
There’s up and then there’s UP. 30 stories on this little rock? A bit unnecessary, don’t you think?
why?
Can CUC, the Water Authority, Cayman Water and waste management handle this type of growth? We already know that that roads can’t support this.
Is the DP suggesting a 30-story slum? Not sure how this will solve the affordable housing crisis.
Exactly! If you build apartments that high for example I’m sure we will then need to import people to occupy them because locals won’t be able to! and that then puts more cars on the street and more strain on the infrastructure. He needs to remember these islands have a fixed size and piling more and more and bigger and bigger is not sustainable and will lead to immeasurable social issues. We are already spending 2 hours in traffic Orr more a day! What is he thinking ? Has any real thought gone into this besides the fact that Mac thinks it’s a brilliant idea ?
Dormitory housing is already on the menu for restaurant workers, if not planned, built and maintained properly this will turn into ghettos.
Cayman needs housing that average workers and residents can afford. Buying low cost housing for speculative purposes needs to be restricted and or taxed heavily. Appropriate rent control legislation needs implementing now!
Saunders is obviously pandering to the big developers that already suggested going higher. Another special interest lobbied, non solution is exactly the opposite of what Cayman needs. We don’t need nitwits like Saunders in Parliament either.
How many times do we have to have this conversation? Its been less than a year since the public said NO to this and yet People like this are hell bent on turning Cayman into Miami.
I agree with 12:37. Bermuda was led by visionary people. Cayman is driven by greed and leadership is left up to developers. The future of our children is bleak. We are a failed society.
Have you seen the state of Bermuda’s economy / finances?
By all means be against over-development, but the idea that Bermuda is something to aspire to is a little worrying.
Bermuda is a racist shithole.
Drinking Mac’s magic tea?
Too many people already on the island. Mental stress every day trying to get to work with the traffic (I live Bodden town, where housing is more affordable) & trying to keep up with my bills with ever increasing costs. My house insurance just went up 35% despite having no claims since Ivan. At least I have no claims in my car insurance! I now ride share with a co worker who helps with the cost of gas.
Stop approving permits for new jobs (fine replacing people leaving) & cut the number of the govt employees. We don’t need more growth & def not 30 storey buildings!!
Poor little Coe Group developers bitching on Facebook because they can’t handle the projects. Aww diddums.
To Saunders: SHAME ON YOU. Why do you seek to destroy the very beauty that constitutes Grand Cayman? Why are you pushing Dart’s agenda? You were elected to push the PEOPLE’S agenda, not Dart’s. If there were a referendum — which of course you won’t allow — you can bet that Caymanians would resoundingly vote NO! on whether to allow 30-storey buildings.
The Projects! Just like inner city areas of large international cities!
Say NO, Cayman!
At the opening ceremony for the Kimpton Seafire Resort, McKeeva Bush said the exact same thing. He went further to say rather than having “sprawling” developments, the solutions was to “go up”. I say that now because I was there and remember it and also because we should never make the mistake of thinking the DP is so different or is capable of independent thought.
Different people will have different perspectives on whether this makes sense. Have we studied how such tall buildings would fare in hurricanes, what about rights to light for other buildings, will the dwellings be economical to address the housing problems DP mentioned, will the banks be more amenable to financing. Lots of questions.
Considering the DP’s silence on the recent PACT/McKeeva issues, he shows no visible support for his Premier. Is the DP willing to wait his turn until this Premier’s term ends and potentially wait another 4 years if he returns as Premier? Just waiting to see when this plot thickens.
Also, when will the ACC investigation make the light of day?
You’re right. DP is power-hungry. Looking out for himself. We need to lookout for his goal of wanting to take Cayman independent.
Well, those beachfront condos sell for upwards of two million each, some tens of millions. Half of that is in construction cost that immediately is paid to local companies and workers and government duties. In addition, resales generate huge amounts of tax revenue for government. Who exactly is going to buy vacation villas in a thirty store building a long way from the beach?
This is not rocket science. Just buy thirty barges of sand every three years and pump it on the beach. Nothing has to be built, and the beachfront owners would happily pay for it. Seawalls don’t eat the sand. We just have less sand in the basin after Ivan and a few other major storms.
Where on this island could you consider well away from the beach?
We don’t need 30 stories – we don’t need anymore buildings. Grand Cayman is already a concrete jungle!!
🎵🎵 Concrete Jungle…The animals are after me
Concrete Jungle…It ain’t safe on the streets
Concrete Jungle…I’m glad I’ve got my mates with
meeeeeeee 🎵🎵
sweet mother of god. We need to get rid of these people before they ruin what is left of our beautiful little island. They cant build an overpass at grand harbour but want to build thirty story buildings. There should be a halt to any new hotels at lest until they solve the traffic problem. What will it take for the politicians to listen to the people.
Dart got to him I guess. Take note.
Is there a SINGLE Caymanian family living full-time in any existing 10 storey building?
There are far too many single Caymanian families, that’s where the issues begin.
He used to work for Dart! Back in the late 90’s
Is that right? Didn’t know. Anymore couple of details on that? What job functions? Employment position?
He worked for Dart Management.
“At least maybe before some of us die we can drive along the road and actually see the beaches,”.
Unless buildings are torn down, too late for this.
Saunders had to outshine Andre filling in for Wayne at the last Chamber luncheon. Game of Thrones for political power.
More and more disappointed every time the DP opens his mouth.
Woohoo 20 more stories Caymanians can’t afford…maybe we can chase away chickens and kill iguanas for the owners. You MPs need another raise? oink oink