Beach access signs go missing from Barkers

| 17/01/2023 | 42 Comments
  • Cayman News Service
  • Cayman News Service

(CNS): The Public Lands Commission is asking the public to help track down two signs that were illegally removed from beach access points in West Bay. One of the missing signs was removed from Barkers National Park (Barkers 48) on Block 8A Parcel 7, and the other (Barkers 46) was removed from Conch Point Road, next to the horse stables, on Block 8A Parcel 76. PLC Chief Inspector Winsome Prendergast said that whoever removed them could be prosecuted.

“The unlawful removal of these Public Beach access signs is very unfortunate as these signs are only meant to best serve our public,” Prendergast said. “I want to remind the public that the theft or unlawful removal of public property is an offence under the Penal Code, and persons found in possession of Public Access Signs without a lawful excuse will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

The Public Lands Commission was established in 2017 by the Public Lands Act (2017) to regulate the use and enjoyment of public land and the protection of the right of access. This includes registered and unregistered public rights of way to the beach and shoreline as well as the enforcement of public rights of way over private land.

However, rights of access have become a significant point of contention for landowners who object to the public’s right of access, especially on beachfront land. The blocking of beach access and efforts to deter people from using the beach are commonplace and there have been concerns that the PLC does not have the teeth to enforce the necessary protections for beach access.

The PLC said that if the missing signs are recovered, they can be delivered to the RPCU section at the Public Works compound, located at 370 North Sound Road, or delivered to the PLC office at Unit A7, Crown Square, 71 Eastern Avenue.

Anyone with information about the missing signs is asked to contact the Public Lands Inspectorate by phone at (345) 946-7110 or email plcinspectorate@gov.ky or plc@gov.ky.


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Category: Local News

Comments (42)

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  1. Ask the CrackHeads: Best Detectives in West Bay says:

    Unfortunate that the beach access signs were stolen. That was wrong and it’s important that beach access points are properly identifiable.

    Having previously lived in West Bay, if you want to retrieve something that has been stolen, offer the crackheads a monetary reward for its recovery or to identify where it is located.

    It might sound a bit far fetched, but it’s true. The sad part is that the motivation for them is to get a drug fix — that is where the moral dilemma occurs. However, they are far better investigators than those at RCIPS.

    Ignore this advice if you want, but I’m serious that the crackheads (who are offered a monetary reward) will locate these stolen signs and the RCIPS will likely not. Also crackheads have no qualms about informing on other crackheads.

    Overall, I hope the beach access signs are located and no more signs go missing. And I hope those elite detective crackheads can get help and turn their lives around.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Nice deflection. Ask yourself who would truly like the public access points gone?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Oh really? Where is the crackhead liquidation market for public beach signs? How do they convert those metal signs into cash to buy a fix? Maybe you’re the one on crack if that’s your lead theory.

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      • Al Catraz says:

        The property owners have to pay the crackheads to steal the signs in the first place. Then, you have to pay the crackheads to get the sign back.

        This is a good business for them.

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      • Anonymous says:

        You don’t know much about how it go in West.

  2. Anonymous says:

    check neighboring landowners… they like pulling them down in BT/FS too.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    The headline is most interesting! I wonder how many more have gone missing? I’ve observed and reported one to Boggy Sand road in West Bay north of the cemetery between 2 condo complexes. PLC please check.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    There will soon be no need for beach access anyway, everyone will be at Kenny Beach. It’s visionary you know.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    If Public Lands Commission are reviewing these comments…. Please maintain the small 15 foot long Public Access path on Boggy Sand Road. A part of the path about midway to the beach has exposed roots and it’s dangerous to get to the beach. Please fix this path. Its the only public path on a lovely section of beach and the ALL of the homeowners on the beach side closed their private paths years ago.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Make public beach access points great again!

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    • Anonymous says:

      It is the responsibility of the landowner to maintain it and failure to do so could result in prosecution. It never will, but it could.

      On a related note, all these problems would go away, in theory, were the responsibility to maintain shifted to the PLC.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Public Lands Commission should have a big box of these perishable signs. One goes missing or gets faded, you put another fresh one in. What nonsense. Similarly, the NRA should have boxes of speed limit signs they can put in. There are only a handful along the entire length of Hotel Tourism zone where cars and trucks are still tailgating and itching to go 50mph in what is now 25mph.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    How about focusing all efforts to stop the ongoing Circus at 7 mile Public Beach? Seems nothing can be done about all the illegal vendors there impacting the public enjoying what use to be a wonderful beach space. Sigh.

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    • Anonymous says:

      There will soon be 1000’s of tourists from Indigo using it and overflowing onto it as their private beach. Dozens of buses trucking the cruise passengers there for the day. There isn’t even the toilet/garbage infrastructure/management for this many users.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    The PLC should really be more concerned with the habitual illegal dumping which continues daily in n the area. How many have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law in relation?

    I’ll wait.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Why not both?

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      • Anonymous says:

        They can be concerned about both, they can’t be more concerned about both however. They should also have a look at the illegal political billboards dotted around the place. Any prosecutions there as yet?

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Beach access should be reserved for stay over visitors and residents. So many cruise ship passengers walk to a beach access on the beach thereby spending even less money than average in cayman. Avoiding the need to spend money on a taxi, drinks or food at a restaurant, cluttering up the beach. Giving nothing, taking for free. I know it would be essentially impossible to institute such a rule but it does show that the beach access system is not perfect and I can see why people object to it. It makes living in certain 7mike beach condos like living on a cruise ship several days a week.

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    • Anonymous says:

      As if the condo owners didnt know that 7 MB was THE premier tourist attraction beforehand

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      • Anonymous says:

        It’s changed. There are now thousands of cruise passengers a day paying to be bused to public beach for the day, motivated by frugality. The liners are nickelling and timing their passengers to such a degree that this is happening in many destinations. “What can I do for free” as the destination reprieve from the ship’s onboard taxes.

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        • Al Catraz says:

          Correct.

          Every dollar they spend somewhere other than to the cruise operator is a lost opportunity from the cruise operator’s point of view. They are not bringing passengers to Cayman in order to benefit Cayman. It’s simply that they have to go somewhere, because it’s not yet legal to simply lock people up in a floating prison and take their money outright.

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    • Anonymous says:

      avoiding taxis you say? I like these people!

      not eating at BK and Hard Rock? even better!

      irritating 7MB snobs? perfect!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Translation-I am wealthy and therefore entitled to impose my wishes on you cretins

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  10. Dieter says:

    There are far too many such access points and they are such a nuisance for those living next to them. Far better to reduce the numbers based on suitability and maintain them better.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    The wealthy homeowners, condo owners and high end developers should be questioned by RCIPS.

    No way a Caymanian would do this, and we have all seen the wealthy NIMBYS block our beach access points for years.

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    • Anonymous says:

      RCIPS aren’t going to question anyone about a missing $20 sign. Secondly, of course Caymanians don’t own homes or condos or are developers so no way they would do this right? What deluded nonsense.

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      • Anonymous says:

        The sign may only cost $20, but installation is about $1,000 requiring a government crew of 5 all day to accomplish. That doesn’t include the “planning and supervision” cost incurred up the government food chain.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Before you start, no, he doesn’t own either of those two parcels.

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    • Anonymous says:

      yet…

      Also remains to be seen whether any of his (or indeed someone else’s) companies get ‘involved’.

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