Sports field threatens wetland oasis in 7MB area

| 15/02/2024 | 149 Comments
Area of wetlands under threat

(CNS): A planning application by Dart to build a professional-grade AstroTurf football pitch with a 710sqft pavilion, changing rooms and a practice field poses a direct threat to one of the last areas of wetland in the Seven Mile Beach corridor, and local activists are calling for the project to be stopped. The site acts as a drainage area for the low-lying and low-density neighbourhoods of Whitehall, Kintyre, Parkway, Marbel and Helen drives and is home to an array of local flora and fauna.

The application is currently going through the public notice period, but despite the obvious impact on everyone when wetlands are lost, the Central Planning Authority will only consider objections from owners within one thousand feet of the proposed sports ground.

However, environmental activists are asking everyone to email or write to the Department of Planning, their member of parliament and to Dart, expressing their objection to the project because of the threat it poses to this last strip of mangroves, which provides a home for a host of indigenous and native birds, fish and flora.

The activists hope that if enough people raise their voices against the proposal, this beautiful piece of wetland, which is an extremely valuable natural asset, can be saved. The area acts as a boundary between the Esterley Tibbetts Highway and the growing urban sprawl on the southern end of the West Bay Road and protects low-lying communities from flooding.

It also provides a buffer for the Jasmine Hospice from the ETH. But the peace and tranquillity of that important facility will be lost if this project goes ahead, especially since the road to the sports field, running alongside the hospice, appears to have already been approved by the government.

In 2022, the wetland site was nominated to be purchased by the government under the National Conservation Act and remains under consideration for protection.

The project was the subject of a public meeting held by members of the Dart Group in September last year for property owners in the area. The islands’ largest land owner said in the invitation that the project was “the planned expansion of the Camana Bay Sports Complex”, and the meeting was to provide insights about the plans and “how we propose to help mitigate historic flooding issues in the area as part of this project”.

However, for those who attended the meeting, Dart’s proposals for replacing the natural mitigation against flooding appeared far from adequate. There were serious concerns that clearing such a large area of water retention that provides natural drainage solutions and replacing it with a manmade water pump system was not a sustainable solution.

Residents in the area noted that the recent rework of the drains in Parkside had not worked because there is simply too much water, and if this wetland is filled, homes will be flooded far more than they are now.

The justification for the project and exactly who will use the football field has not been made clear. Local resident and environmental advocate Laura Egglishaw told CNS that the community needs to step up and express their concerns to their MPs, as this will have a much wider impact on residents well beyond the 1,000-foot objection zone.

She said the site is home to buttonwood as well as black and white mangroves, which provide a habitat for a variety of birds, including West Indian whistling ducks, Cayman parrots, red-footed booby birds, West Indian woodpeckers and various herons and egrets. It’s also home to land animals, such as crabs and Cayman agouti, and fish, including the endemic Cayman gambusia and Grand Cayman limia, and should not only be saved from this potential project but should become a protected area.

Egglishaw said she had contacted the constituency MP, Joey Hew (GTN), to raise her objections and asked him to raise the objections of the affected communities with Dart. However, she said the opposition member has not responded to her concerns.

Em DeCou, a leading member of local activist group Amplify Cayman, said it is difficult to understand how such developments that remove critical ecosystems are constitutional when decisions about such projects should, in accordance with sections 17 and 18 of the Bill of Rights, be made to protect the environment and our children’s future.

“It is disappointing on many levels to see this proposed development, given the overwhelming evidence that shows intact wetlands versus projects like this add greater value to our collective resilience and cultural preservation,” said DeCou. “As well-intended as developments like this may be, the impact is that our entire coastal community gets robbed of carbon sequestration, habitat for biodiversity, cooler temperatures and precipitation, and stewardship of our culture that is dependent on these verdant trees so fair.”

DeCou noted that nature-based activities in flourishing green spaces are greatly needed, and this area is a prime location to create a series of trails and other amenities that support all accessibly-able to enjoy the rich biodiversity without negatively impacting the neighbouring communities. “The natural wealth we have in these wetlands protects us all and reciprocally requires only that we protect them in return,” she said.

The project is available for inspection at the government building and can be viewed on the
Department of Planning’s website.

Official objectors who live within 1,000 feet of the proposed project have just two weeks to submit a formal objection under planning regulations.

CNS note: The article has been corrected to show that the pavilion is 710sqft, not the field.


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Category: development, Local News

Comments (149)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    This is history all over again similarly to what happened to the American Indians. Some got bought out for shiny trinkets and whisky. Reminds you of anyone?

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  2. Anonymous says:

    Dart is disgusting, a nauseating representation of greed, an unctuous overlord dressed as carer of community, an ill gotten gain and shredder of Cayman Islands fabric.

    Harsh words maybe, but who the h*** else would be thirsting for and developing a community, schools, a health facility, sports fields, all ‘close’ to landfill as claim to the development legacy of their their very own, – don’t sign those waivers.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6617357/

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  3. Chet Oswald Ebanks says:

    Ah what a shame. The Cayman we Caymanians once knew and loved is gone. If anyone really believes these greedy developers and these greedy land owners and real estate companies give a darn about us Caymanians. Just take a walk down NorthWest Point Road and you will see. I await the next major hurricane that will be the test. Caymanians you remember how many left after hurricane Ivan the terrible,only to come back when things where rebuilt. The Cayman Islands has GONE to the highest bidder. Just look around, Caymanians are truly the people time forgot. Memories may fade, but wait we can prepare for hurricanes, but not earthquakes. Enough said, you greedy money vultures can have Cayman, even when it’s lost to the sea. What these islands are in need of, is a government for the people. Let’s strop importing trash and poverty into Cayman. Then maybe then, the true born Caymanians with Cayman ties might have a chance to survive. Sad, so sad to see what greed and $$$ get. Cayman is gone, look around my people my true born Caymanians. We truly are the Islands time forgot and people. Wakeup start to protest and send some of these greedy people home.

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  4. Patricia Bryan says:

    The same efforts against the East-West Arterial should be pushed behind this application. If we cannot get a necessary road because of our natural resources being at risk the same should apply here. The [potential] risks and losses align if you ask me.
    Honestly though I do not hear nor see the same sand-storm against this application. Not here. Not the media. Not the talkshows.
    I am trying to envision why everything undertaken by a certain corporation has to be developed in this area of the island. There is a lot of good, solid land in different areas of the island. I know I have the answer but I will refrain from expressing.
    At times I have to wonder whether man thinks that Mother Nature is a joke or that man himself controls Mother Nature. A spoilt child will still try to touch something over and over no matter how many times a parent chastices him/her to leave it alone, it is wrong to interfer or touch something.
    It is so heartbreaking to see the very same things that brought certain people to the shores of the Cayman Islands are the very same things that they often seek to destroy/tamper with.
    Delilah knew if she told the soldiers Samson’s secret it could destroy him. Seems she hadn’t thought far enough ahead to realize trying to destroy him would destroy them all in the end.
    SIGN THE PETITION GOING AROUND, AND WRITE TO THE CPA.
    Anonymous postings here are no use.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    About 12 to 18 months ago Dart made a big public splash about how they were pledging to support the environment. How does this fit in with that pledge?

    And this is the same entity who came here as a foreign company, liked so much the way the islands were and the way Caymanians had preserved the islands, and once they got here they wanted to, and did, change the way things were.

    Now average Caymanians cant afford a home in their own country because the foreigners come here, want to change our way of living, buying mangrove land, building luxury homes that only more wealthy foreigners can afford to buy.

    I for one say we dont need anymore of that or them.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    more hypocrisy from the anti-development brigade.
    ask yourself what was there before your condo or house was built?
    development is essential for cayman but should always be as sustainable as possible and be in accordance with a national overall devlopement plan.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Exactly! … Where’s the development plan? Been looking for one of those now for over a decade. (Not the out of date old one, the “as sustainable as possible” one you mentioned, and that the law requires them to update every so often but they haven’t because, you know, we don’t want to.)

      More hypocrisy from the development-first people second environment third country fourth crowd.

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    • Some guy with odd shoes says:

      “Brigade”? Really? People who aren’t united but collectively want to preserve the natural resources?

      Open your eyes. This is what is happening. Foreign investors/developers come here and snuggle up to the government, and are granted concessions that allow them to unfairly compete with existing Caymanian-owned businesses and hotels. They make their boutique hotels, sell them, and leave with their bounty. More expats have to be hired to services these hotels, because no Caymanian can survive on $6.00 per hour. The traffic gets worse, more crap cars on the roads.

      Meanwhile, the Caymanians who aren’t part of government often find themselves dependent upon the NAU, and the possibility of buying a house for their family is so distant that it as far as the moon.

      Our government wants to spend more and build more and cozy up to the foreign investment cartel, which, incidentally, is causing the price in housing and property to rise to the point where a couple who both work for government are hard pressed to buy/build a house.

      Yes, you are right, development is important, however we appear to never have a long-game plan. It’s just build-more-make-more and hope there is some semblance of trickle down to the people.

      We are drowning here, and the only entity that can even throw us a flotation donut is forever looking the other way.

      So, don’t talk to me about hypocrisy. People are struggling just to pay minimal bills. People that have worked their asses off all their lives, just as their parents did. We are failing our people in favor of filling the government coffers, so they can gleefully spend it. This has been the model since the very first Cayman Islands Premier.

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    • GT East says:

      Darts sports field is currently in use 24/7 much to the annoyance of those that bought in Olea so creating another is good for everyone but we cant keep clearing large amounts of land without creating zones for wild life and full landscape buffers
      One thing about Dart he loves clearing land but does not want to demolish his two prized eye sores the old Hyatt and Palms
      The planning law needs to be amended that land can only be cleared once approved development is in place and a set date for completion

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      • Anonymous says:

        pretty funny 7:59, – Olea residents are pissed about a busy sports field so build another that will annoy others somewhere else, – King of Kings you’re a gem

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  7. Anonymous says:

    The ONLY thing ANY environmentalist in Cayman should be focusing on is fixing the dump. Yet no one seems to care that there is a environmental disaster occurring their EVERY SINGLE DAY for decades and decades.

    The people who are upset about this proposed development have been, and continue to be, more than happy to send all their trash a half mile further down the road to a toxic disaster. This screams not it my backyard.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I totally get it, but pay attention: the window to “fix it”, by physically relocating the pile and lining underneath, was 20 years ago after Ivan. There are no plans under consideration in 2024+ to “fix the dump”. CIG handed the keys to Dart several years ago to spread it out, pile it on, and cap GT landfill. Regen may or may not build a WTE to incinerate our future trash and sell that power to CUC, for them to sell on to us. There will need to be a colossal 20 story smoke stack for that project. These “fix the dump” comments are 20 years too late.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Okay, so by your logic let’s not fix it at all. What a silly silly comment. Smoke stack!? You’ll be reciting Dickens next.

    • Handy says:

      Why should there only be a single focus?
      Is that how you operate your life?

      It would be great if there was any kind of long term vision or plan by any of our politicians.

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      • Anonymous says:

        What a silly response. I’d take a gamble and say that in your life you are the boss, so it’s fairly easy to set your personal priorities… when it comes to large community issues, well, they require consensus across many people to get them moving and make them a success. That why a structured strategy would work better. The scatter gun approach by environmentalist is actually doing damage.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Cayman’s and Caymanians biggest mistake shall be remembered as “Cayman Kind”. Laughing and grinning with people who were wolves in sheep’s clothing and have now taken over the reigns of this island and its politicians. Caymanians are soft and docile, when they should have been Proud and loud, reminding people they are merely visitors and our good graces are not to be taken for granted. Instead we showed a smiley face and weak spine.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Wasn’t there plans at some point for the rugby pitch to be moved to somewhere similar with Darts inclusion ? My vague understanding is that all went south due mostly to the vultures preconditions, anybody ? 🤷🏻‍♀️

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    • Anonymous says:

      Yes, that’s correct. A few vultures on the rugby board at the time kept demanding more. Shame we passed on the opportunity.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Review the NRA Agreements in the CNS library and you will see all kinds of deliverables that were dangled and yanked away by this developer.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Tax Ken Dart

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  11. Anonymous says:

    I don’t understand why so many people are upset about this. Cayman clearly needs more sports fields, and definitely more churches, too. No one can deny that we have way too many natural habitats. Come on, una get real. If we ever want to be a first-world country we have to chop down every trees and kill our wildlife. It’s called progress. So what if it inevitably degrades health, beauty and the quality of life? Priorities, people. The 1 percent have a right to get richer, right?

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    • Some guy with odd shoes says:

      What if “we” don’t want to trade dollars for nature? What if we choose to hold onto that very last vestige of what once was? Should people like me be put out to pasture? Perhaps. That is a valid argument. Another is that when you are at the last 1/4 of your life, do you want to look back and feel good for the construction, overbuilding, technology which you supported, or do you want to feel comforted by taking a stand for the voiceless natural environment?

      Okay, now cue the guy who mindlessly points out that without techology, I wouldn’t be able to make this complaint — thus entirely, and perhaps intentionally — missing the point.

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    • Anonymous says:

      And clearly we have not learned any lessons from our annual chaos and traffic jams known as the Agricultural show.
      That’s all going to happen here, except more than once a year.
      History of Dart and his smirking senior management, shows this is nothing more than a ruse to prepare the area for future development.
      Pro football pitch..? Trojan horse.

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      • Anonymous says:

        HeeehheeeehhheeeeeeeROTFL

        Does anyone believe this? Football pitch ! Krikey!

        LOLLOLLOLLLOOOL

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    • Anonymous says:

      We don’t need any more Church laundries. Cayman has 200+ registered churches. More “churches” per capita than anywhere else in the world. They enjoy full duty waivers, generous government/MP “Nation Building” handouts, and accounting opacity.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Money shot!

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  12. Anonymous says:

    Reading the article it’s hard to say what their exact thought process was, but it does seem like an odd decision to put a huge football training field next to a hospice. It’s important for the CPA to consider the impact on the surrounding community and prioritize sensitivity when making such decisions.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The published plans indicate that it’s nowhere near the Jasmine Hospice. Besides, they seemed to do just fine when they were located next to CUCs power generation plant all those years.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The CPA could give two good sh&%s about anything but ram thru the developments. Suing the Department of Environment over the shack in the sea on Boggy Sound Road should say it all.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Environmental concerns aside, a facility of that sort will attract tens of thousands of vehicles at the same time concentrated in one already congested area.
      Don’t we already have enough traffic woes, let alone the fallout from tens of thousands of “fans” who are not exactly known for restrained behavior..?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Beware of Dart bearing “gifts”.

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    • Anonymous says:

      It is not “next to a hospice”. Not even close (look at a map). Just indicating that the road to the hospice from West Bay Road could extend by a half mile or so to this new area.

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  13. IAMWOKE says:

    Is this really about raising the level of pro-football in the Cayman Islands? How about we turn that eyesore Kaboo wasteland into something useful for the community? The Dart bots could pitch in and upgrade it, and hey, with the new Indigo conference hotel nearby, visiting pro-teams could mingle with us ‘natives’ on our public beach.
    It’s a win-win, right?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Go back sleep.

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    • Anonymous says:

      This is the correct direction of thinking. It’s all about approval to turn virgin land in to “man made land with limited ecological value” as the DOE says it. Then you can do whatever you want.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    Maybe the Dart organisation should prioritize preserving these diminishing natural habitats on their property and find alternative solutions for recreational activities which are already cleared.

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  15. anon says:

    fight against it now, use it later.

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  16. Anonymous says:

    Usually I am of the belief that projects in Cayman that damage the environment (sometimes before even getting approval!) are disappointing and disheartening.

    But I think expanding a walkable area (Camana Bay) could be a positive thing for the community depending on how accessible the new facilities are to the public.

    I feel like its a losing battle to try to protect (comparatively) very small inland areas that are already surrounded by roads and development.

    Environmentalists can only get so much done so I think they need to pick their battles wisely. I’m not an environmental consultant so I can’t say how big of an impact this development will have but I feel like their are much more important areas that development needs to be totally stopped in such as the Central Mangrove Wetlands, East End Interior, Barker’s etc.. Maybe also the South Sound Basin, next to the “West Bay” Highway etc…

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  17. Anonymous says:

    Choosing a fake turf football field over a vital wildlife habitat is shortsighted. Kids need exercise, but not the expense of our environment and their future. Perhaps the question that needs to be asked is why not find a solution that benefits both?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Fake turf requires a solid sub surface….like one which can be used as a slab for future development.
      Haven’t you cottoned on to Dart’s devious ways yet..? Just look at who advises him .

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      • Anonymous says:

        And fake turf i.e. plastic heats up the ground and environment. As if it isn’t hot enough already!!

      • Anonymous says:

        The size and density of the ‘slab’ under the proposed turf is in no way able to support a future building. Your complaints are getting more and more uneducated. Try again Bobo.

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  18. Anonymous says:

    The article doesn’t make mention but I’m curious as to how Jasmine came to be at that location? Does anyone know how they managed to secure that land?

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    • Anonymous says:

      I’m pretty sure Dart gave them the land, but the Dart-bashers on CNS won’t like that fact!

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      • Anonymous says:

        Truth!

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      • Anonymous says:

        All the thumbs down you like, but its true. Guy gives the hospice free land. People then say the guy that gave them the land cant develop the neighboring land because it will affect the hospice. Yep, seems fair.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Dart is renting land to Hospice, and still owns it. Haines efforts paid for it’s buildout.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Wrong.

        • Anonymous says:

          The Land registry states that the parcel of land on which the Jasmine Villa sits is owned by Cayman Hospice Care and has been since 2017. It further states that it was transferred to Cayman Hospice Care from its previous owner, Cayman Shores Development Ltd.

          In order for your statement to be correct, one of two things must be true.

          1. The land register is telling lies
          2. Dart owns Cayman Hospice Care

          Which one is it?

    • Anonymous says:

      Private money. In 2018, at the age of 66, Derek Haines raised $1.3mln running six marathons worldwide. Corporate sponsors are: KPMG, EY, Wheaton, Butterfield, Island Heritage, Health City, PWC, Knighthood, London Amsterdam Trust, Compass Media, Davenport.

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    • Anonymous says:

      That land was part of Helen Harquail’s portfolio, and she donated it to hospice before she passed, I think. At some point in the past a Caymanian sold it to her and her husband. They also donated the land where the theatre now stands.

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  19. Anonymous says:

    How did that nomination score? See for yourself here https://cnslibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/Protect-Area-Nominations-2022-Report.pdf

    Maybe check the zoning maps and be careful what you wish for.

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  20. Anon says:

    My home country has gone to hell in a hand basket.

    Those in positions of authority have thrown out the baby with the bath water.

    The trees in the forest think the ax is one of them because his handle is made of wood.

    The majority can’t tell its a Wolfe parading around in sheep’s clothing.

    The silver tongued geniuses are serving the CoolAid.

    Those who have some little grey cells to rub together are outnumbered or intimidated.

    And like Al at the end of Devil’s Advocate, he is laughing and saying, vanity gets ‘um everytime.

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  21. Anonymous says:

    as an athlete I’m all for more sports but this doesn’t make sense. we already have multiple sports fields in each district. yet we are not producing professional athletes. seems like a waste to destroy the wetlands

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    • Anonymous says:

      As an ATH-OH-LEET… yeah right! So much an athlete yet has no clue of the fact that hundreds of youth and adults across Grand Cayman cannot get pitch time for love nor money.

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      • Anonymous says:

        I’m at the fields and working with youth everyday of the week. They aren’t out there because they are at home locked into screens. There are plenty of pitches for people to train on. Please tell me the last sporting event football or otherwise to fill any of the fields we have on island?

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        • Anonymous says:

          *yoots

        • Anonymous says:

          They aren’t out there everyday of the week because – thankfully – they are at school! Only between 4 and say 7pm can youth get out and play sport. All the dozens of sports clubs with hundreds of members cannot get pitch time because they’re all booked out. It really is that simple.

  22. Green Hornet says:

    Oh boy, here we go again. The blind leading the blind as we slowly disappear under the rising seas.
    “What rising seas?” you question, Sir Ostrich. And the kerchink of money continues to transfer to all the usual places – we all know the list. It hasn’t changed. That’s ok, we can count it all under water just as easily as we do above the brine…

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  23. Anonymous says:

    I think it’s a welcome and attractive use of the land. It meets many of the publics needs. I would like to see extra attention placed across from the National Gallery to create a unique sense of space so the two site together in harmony. It would be pretty to have a park like setting by the National Gallery.

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  24. Anonymous says:

    Wow, the pro-obesity lobby might be writing most of these comments.

    Hit the link to the plans at the bottom of the story. Why the heck would anyone want to block a sports field, running paths, a bleep test track etc?

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  25. Anonymous says:

    nobody really take this eco crusaders seriously. everybody remember the doomsday warning when Camana bay was proposed and the laundry list of people who vowed to never step foot there but we all know how that turned out.

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  26. XRebellion KY says:

    Greenwashing plastic turf and hard facing the earth
    Making billions of dollars
    profiteering from destruction
    producing styrofoam
    which is killing people
    the planet
    the island
    is economic genius
    It’s the Once-ler
    Wake up people!

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  27. Anonymous says:

    We got all those free parks back in the day because Dart cared, no ulterior motive, Dart cared 🤥

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    • Anonymous says:

      Got your tinfoil hat on tonight.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Your cancel attempt backfired spectacularly. Good.

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        • V says:

          I am by means no anti vaxxer but I do weigh risks when it comes to these type of things.

          To make the assumption that a petroleum product that is exposed to the elements cannot leech into the surrounding environment and have an effect seems improbable to me. There is a reason we don’t build homes on tire dumps.

          So to me if we have our children running on top of this product we need to be informed and gauge for ourselves with evidence the level of risk to them.

          Others when faced with articles and scientific hypotheses/inferences whole heartedly reject the topic it makes me concerned for humanity.

          Remember Doctors use to say smoking was okay for your health.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Only broken records like you use the term “tinfoil hat”; virtually everyone else besides you uses aluminum foil*.

        *If you insist upon staying in the Cayman Islands, you’d better learn how to properly say “aluminum”.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Oh they dont like the tinfoil hat comment! Triggered.

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  28. Anonymous says:

    CPA will rubber stamp it or else. Big Dart gets what ever he wants and no politician or other government peoplewill say a word about it.

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  29. Anonymous says:

    More traffic in SMB. More sport infrastructure is great but why in the most congested part of the island. Go east and there is congestion free land galore

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  30. Anonymous says:

    Good god. How is having additional sporting availability now a bad thing?

    While we are at it lets tear up the new Pickleball Cayman facility and return it to bush/swamp that was for generations known as Halfway Pond.

    And the rugby pitch in South Sound. That fertile land should be fully replaced with indigenous trees and not some ungodly ugly grass pitch that people seem to only enjoy playing rugby on.

    We need our teenagers to spend more time in evenings outside in parking lots of nightclubs, and not running around and playing sports (which will just lead to injuries anyway and burning those pesky calories that we work so hard for to put on their plate).

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    • Anonymous says:

      Bobo this ain’t got nothing to do with teenagers. This is dart using a public friendly way of getting approval to pave wetlands.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Bro are you mad? You want to cut off your nose to spite your face? Everywhere trying to reduce their carbon emissions to give the next generation a fair chance of life.

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  31. Anonymous says:

    If you guys want to preserve the land you should buy it lol

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  32. Anonymous says:

    ‘wetlands’…aka mosquito breeding swamp.

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    • Anonymous says:

      you are showing your lack of environmental education with that comment,especially if you think that’s all a wetland is

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  33. #me says:

    This right here is craziness!! I am so vex right now. What is wrong with Dart? And the Government? I mean, did common sense missed them? Every piece of wetland is going. Do they even comprehend the purpose of these wetlands? KMDT!

    Our 3 little islands are going under, am so sorry to say, should this go through. No manmade pumps will be able to handle that amount of water! Lord help us!

    Please, everyone who is able to should write in as Laura suggested.

    Let’s go Cayman people….let us do all we can to stop this from going through…fight for what is right!!

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  34. Anonymous says:

    710 sq.ft? Is it for kindergartens?

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  35. Know your history says:

    The PPM gave more to certain wealthy developers in Cayman from 2013-2021 than UDP gave away from 2009-2012.

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    • Anonymous says:

      PPM believed it was good for the economy, and it was.
      UDP made sure it was good for them personally….and it was.

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  36. Kman says:

    Dart doesn’t care about Cayman or protecting our natural environment. I’m waiting for all the Camana Bay fans to come charging out the gates about the pretty flora and the cute little iguana island, get your heads out of the sands. Laura, I applaud you cuz for your dedication, knowledge and efforts but forget about asking Joeynothing, he’s a Dart boy, a puppet on a string. Dart could build public swimming pools/tennis courts in each district in not environmentally or heritage areas that would be a bigger help.

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    • #me says:

      Agreed.

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    • Anonymous says:

      That may be the case but in all fairness, the CNS article states that in 2022 the land was nominated to be purchased under the NCA. This implies that the process is not complete and as far as Dart is concerned it is private land (his) to do use in a manner for which it is zoned. It is a difficult argument to make that a private land owner cannot use his property for “his” benefit in accordance with the law and the opinion of every Tom, Dick and Cayman Ebanks must take precedence. Sorry fair is fair.

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  37. Anon says:

    Smallest football pitch at 710 sq ft
    In the history of the planet

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  38. Anonymous says:

    Dart and JD are drafting the reply for their handpicked mp right now

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    • Anonymous says:

      The same was done when they wanted a “crosswalk” over the West Bay road.
      We got pretty pictures with trees and ended up with a communist era concrete foundation for future development.
      It’s a sneaky way to pave over for a future development, that’s all.

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  39. Anonymous says:

    Caymanians deserve the MLA’s they get. GTN voters had a real opportunity to remove MLA Hew last election but money talks and floods the streets like an early Xmas present.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Why are you mentioning Joey like he is still in govt? You all voted for PACT and they appointed the same dinosaurs to to Planning!

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      • Anonymous says:

        @3:17pm ..The problem is Joey never advocated for GTN and although he isn’t in Government now doesn’t mean he can’t speak up on behalf of us..Trust me when he wants to go on Radio Cayman and do a rant about the Government his mouth will be wide open then.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Because the other election option – Johann Moxam, partner of the then-head of PR and Marketing for Dart, would have done any different???

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      • Anonymous says:

        You clearly do not know Johann Moxam.

        He is very different from the incumbent Joey Hew, he does not hide from difficult discussions and issues.

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      • Anonymous says:

        How easy you forget what CPR Cayman achieved and his role

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