Eroded structures litter 7MB with hazardous debris

(CNS): The erosion of hard structures along the southern end of Seven Mile Beach has left a trail of hazardous debris from the Marriott hotel all the way past The Sovereign condos, caused by the weather system that eventually became Hurricane Helene. The fact that a fairly minor surge left crumbled sea walls, decks and other concrete structures in its wake is raising significant concerns about the future of Grand Cayman’s most important attraction.

The deck at the Marriott Resort and the structures at Royal Palms are already facing demolition orders, but the sea carried off walls and decks at several other properties, polluting the marine environment and leaving an unsightly mess on Grand Cayman’s famous beach.

Royal Palms, which had a beautiful full beachfront less than seven years ago, has suffered significant damage as the excessive development along Seven Mile Beach has had a knock-on impact on that site. In a handful of years, the sea has eroded the beach and washed up so close to the buildings that debris from structures built on the site decades ago is now being washed into the ocean.

“Repeated storms and bad weather have continued to damage Royal Palms, and debris has entered the sea,” a spokesperson for the Department of Environment told CNS recently. “At the same time, the chronic erosion in this region appears to have revealed debris that was previously buried under the sand. While some has clearly come from the existing dilapidated Royal Palms, some of the debris dates back to possibly the 1960s or 1970s, based on the materials.”

Dart, the owner of this site, closed down the bar and restaurant during COVID. However, the DoE has been working with the group for some time to ensure that debris was removed where that could be done by hand.

“On Wednesday, we received a request to review a demolition permit for some of the structures,” the spokesperson said. “We welcome this application because we have long felt that this building was a hazard, and given that it was vacant and derelict, it should be removed as part of a managed retreat.”

However, the DoE has also been looking at how debris on the beach and in the nearshore environment affects neighbouring properties.

“We truly understand that the level of hazardous debris on the beach and in the water is severe and requires addressing,” the spokesperson noted. “It will require heavy equipment operating in the water to remove it, and work in the water requires a coastal works permit. We have encouraged the surrounding properties to apply to remove the debris, and we have fully committed to making the review of the application an urgent priority for our team, but we have not yet received an application.”

The DoE, in collaboration with the Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency, is scheduled to meet with the relevant landowners to discuss how to request an urgent coastal works permit from Cabinet so that clean-up works can commence. Dart recently submitted a planning application to build a temporary beach bar at Royal Palms, and the DoE said it delivered its review to the planning department and Central Planning Authority for consideration on 23 September.

The erosion is spreading north, and walking the length of Seven Mile Beach from the Marriott Resort to West Bay is now impossible as more than a mile of it is now treacherous. Following the recent rough weather, CNS attempted to walk along the whole beach but was unable to because of the extent of the erosion and the hazardous debris.

Many people are still not aware of the level of damage and the state of the beach, once famous for its length and depth. But multimillion-dollar oceanfront condos that once boasted about being located on this formally beautiful stretch of Seven Mile Beach are now precariously perched on crumbling structures that, with each passing storm, are gradually falling into the sea as the sand is lost and shows no sign of returning.

The government has still not developed a policy to tackle the situation, despite receiving advice from the Department of Environment and the National Conservation Council about a managed retreat and redefining the setbacks to prevent new development from adding to the erosion problem.

The draft Climate Change Policy published over a year ago identified erosion along Seven Mile Beach as one of the severe threats to the islands. Climate change and over-development are putting the tourism sector at risk, as well as increasing the risk to individual properties.

Cabinet finally approved a redrafted version of the policy just two weeks ago, though the document has not been made public. We are awaiting details from the ministry about its plans, if any, to begin working on at least the most severe threats listed in the climate risk assessment, which formed the basis of the original proposed policy.

The risk assessment noted that Cayman can expect fewer but more severe rainfall events, increased frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones and increases in air and sea temperatures. Over 50 specific risks were analysed in the assessment; 18 were found to be ‘severe’, including damage and inundation of the sewerage system and the loss of coastal protection with the removal of coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass and beaches.

See video footage of Seven Mile Beach by Rory McDonough below:

See more videos by Rory McDonough here and here.

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