UPM in mystery talks to swap Barkers land with Dart
(CNS) UPDATED: The government has issued a brief statement about the approval of a mystery Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the islands’ largest land owner Dart Enterprises Limited. The deputy governor has now confirmed to CNS that talks, with a view to swapping land in the area to create a national park, are at the very early stage. But government is hopeful it will include beach front land. Despite being a minority administration 12 weeks away from nomination day and the start of the general election campaign the UPM has said very little about the close door talks over recent weeks that have led to the MOU’s approval.
Dart has been looking to secure beachfront property in Barkers reserve in order to develop a luxury, exclusive resort in this West Bay, largely untouched, natural beauty spot with enormous cultural significance for local people. But talks are now underway that could pave the way for that development or alternatively end in Dart getting other crown land elsewhere such as Salt Creek.
CNS has submitted several questions and asked for the MOU to be released and we are awaiting a response. However Franz Manderson confirmed that at this stage the mandate for the civil servants that are dealing with these discussions is to secure the future of Barkers for the people of the Cayman Islands.
The talks and the subsequent secret deal appear to be linked to the $38million that government owes Dart for ending the ‘dump deal’ talks this summer over the beleaguered waste-management plan. And as was asked by Kathy Ebanks-Wilks in parliament last week it seems government is hoping to use crown land that could be in Barkers, or elsewhere, to pay-off the debt fuelled by the catalog of errors surrounding the failed waste-management contract.
According to the release Dart and the government appear to be also renegotiating the National Roads Authority Agreement first set in motion by McKeeva Bush more than fourteen years ago. The short statement said that the goal of the MOU was to advance, resolve and create agreements on the NRA agreement, the ISWMS and Barkers National Park and to “define actionable steps for efficient execution and seamless transition between administrations.”
“A government negotiation team has been appointed by Cabinet to use all reasonable endeavours under the MOU to facilitate the development of resolutions for the agreements and provide advice to Cabinet. The team, which will be led by Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, includes the financial secretary and relevant chief officers,” officials stated.
The controversial NRA Agreement which closed a chunk of the West Bay Road and paved the way for the Kimpton and Indigo hotels was finalised in 2016 with execution of the 3rd Amendment. The deal has had a mixed response given the fact that Dart gained a lot and the people less-so with the lost access to significant parts of Seven Mile Beach. What was billed as a multi-faceted economic stimulus agreement also led to the construction of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway from West Bay to George Town.
“The MOU seeks to achieve resolution on execution of obligations in the NRA Agreement to facilitate recovery of fees related to significant investment in infrastructure and developments that drove positive economic activity during the financial crisis and through the pandemic, border closure and recovery period,” the government stated.
CNS has asked the government if the premier plans to hold a press conference on this MOU given the significant public interest and the impact on the community but at this stage there has been no indication from the government communication department that this is going to happen.
“Government intends to close on the agreements before the end of February 2025 and will keep members of the public informed via official channels as the negotiations progress,” officials stated in the release.
Commenting on the MOU in the press release the premier, Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said discussions on the matters in the memorandum have been ongoing for many years. “We know it is in the best interest of the country and our people to bring them to mutually agreeable closure,” she said. “The agreements have spanned numerous governments and we wish to achieve clarity and not pass on ambiguity to future governments.”
Chief Executive Officer of Dart, Mark VanDevelde said the group appreciated the Cabinets’ willingness to engage in talks. “We appreciate the Premier’s and Cabinet’s willingness to engage with Dart to address these outstanding commitments and new agreements,” he said. “We look forward to working with the Deputy Governor and the Cabinet-appointed team on efficient and mutually beneficial outcomes.”
How this deal ends could become a major election issue. Dart has been seeking to swap land it owns in the centre of Barkers with the small amount of beach front land that the crown owns to enable the interior to be designated a national park and for the developer to create an exclusive resort on one of the last remaining stretches of natural beach and mangrove habitat on Grand Cayman.
CNS has not been able to confirm which land in Barkers will be involved in a potential exchange or whether government is actually swapping land in Salt Creek to facilitate a national park with some beach front access.
Local activists have also been very, vocal about preserving Barkers and protecting it from development for many years. This latest announcement is likely to trigger a surge in the campaign and add further fuel for conservation to be at the centre of the 2025 election campaign.
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Category: Local News
The NRA Deal, a testament to the sh!tstained legacy of Mark Scotland and McKeeva Bush. All now, 14 yrs later, we cant seem to get anything good out of it
People don’t be fooled and don’t let these idiots swap one important piece of land for another— just remember that would be a LOSS this minority government is negotiating for you!
The people responsible are trying to end this long game of chess by drafting up an MOU. Right before an election? (hmm yes Kathy, thank you red card Dwayne!).
Vote it down. Vote em out!
Was there about 25 years ago, someone was having a big cookout/party. Looks like a done deal at this point, all you can hope for is they do it right.
I assume the thumbs down don’t want to do it right, same ol mentality
oh- this deal is already sorted and settled. We were just late in hearing about it.
Yup. Caymanians screwing Caymanians – not much new to report here; this is how Cayman works. But oh gee, let’s grumble as I cash my check for my vote.
if the government gives dart this land or money then the people need to rise up and hold court in the streets. This is cause for rioting on CIG.
Not holding my breath
You should. For as long as you can.
Do you live here, on island? Do you understand the uneducated electorate will be bribed for a cheap vote? The Cayman electorate is absurdly unable to parse the candidates – those are mostly uneducated. Want to support a riot? Great, let’s see the results.
I’m literally on the verge of tears. Everything and everywhere that is nature, that I used to run around freely in and that I take the kids and dog is being taken literally from under my feet. Year after year. Everything is now behind gates only for the rich people to enjoy. Government doesn’t seem to care. There’s no end in sight. I feel so powerless. Voting is useless. This deal will be done before elections happen in any event and there will be no turning back. We’re never getting this land back once the deal is done. Maybe i was naive hoping against hope for a big park, quiet places where we can walk, away from traffic and noise. I feel crushed. There’s not going to be anything left for my kids.
Where are all of these gated spaces that have been taken from you?
The dyke roads behind Patrick’s Island, the dyke Roads off Yacht drive (you used to be able to go all the way to Barkers just on trails), there used to be a nice trail off south south road where the new building is at by Cayman crossing, Pageant Beach. Every bit is sold off to developers so I understand they can develop but why doesn’t government hold any crown land back for the people?
in behind the National Gallery, that will soon be concreted over for a football pitch
Not entirely concrete – some with fake grass which is just as TOXIC. But Dart gets what Dart wants and there was NO OPPOSITION to this application from the Department of Environment or National Conservation Council even though it triggered a few adverse effects under their own law. We don’t all follow the same rules.
I have a different perspective. I believe those ‘behind gates’ would fully support a more ethical CIG. We (I am not behind a gate, but understand your terms) support a CIG that protects the environment, protects the populace, protects the needy. But we are reviled as the cause for every problem in Cayman, although we have no vote for the Ministers who promote all the excesses. Do you want our support, or do you wish to blame us for every problem that YOU have ultimate control over?
Can anyone explain the reason why government owes Dart so much $ for pulling out of the dump deal? Presumably this payment is to compensate for expenses incurred by dart but I cannot fathom how they have spent this much so I presume there must be a substantial payment due for breaking the contract. If this is the case and government didn’t negotiate proper off ramps that would allow them to break the contract without penalty then someone needs to lose they law license!
Cap and remediation of the existing site as it was expected to close with the new WTE plant incinerating future waste as well as the vaunted 5 star recycling program.
Easy answer: Dart has much better lawyers that CIG! Cayman is so, so, so, so outsmarted it is comical.
LOL, the electorate elected the negotiators! Sucks to be the electorate!
Until Caymanians start making their disapproval felt nothing will change. These politicians could care less what you think and even more less of what you do. What a soft bunch of whimpers and whiners the natives here are. One man is king and it sure isn’t Charles. Dart and his lawyers can barely contain their slobber every time they get in a room with Caymanian elected officials.
I agree, but all were duly elected! Look for better candidate Ministers and HOPE/PRAY for their election. I, personally have little hope in the Cayman electorate = a 2’nd grade education/intellect. Harsh? Prove me wrong.
Especially when they have to deal with CIG’s inept legal team from the Attorney General’s Office and/or the Solicitor General’s Office/Legal Drafting team. There is a reason ineptness exists in these offices, if any of these qualified CIG lawyers could make it in the private sector, they would be there where compensation is 2 times plus what CIG is able to pay. You get what you pay for!
Some of the facts here are not correct. For one, Dart owns most of the beachfront land in Barkers, not the government.
Dart got the four lane bypass road into West Bay built. Compare traffic going to north towards West Bay vs nightmare traffic jams going east from George Town. Thousands of people are benefitting from this.
Shh. Quiet beach.
Dart didnt get it built.
Public money built the WB bypass to give him FREE beach land to build the Kimpton and the new one over Public Beach.
Only the 3 West Bay ladies had the gonads to protest.
Govt even built his PRIVATE driveway from yacht club roundaboutnto Batabank. ALL Dart land there! Most sold to him by the bug head politician for Free access.
PS. Will his DUTY FREE imports CONCESSION ever end??
Noone can compete with him forever with that in place.
even the Trini buoy sold out.
Truth, but that is not what Caymanians want – they pray for lies to justify their votes.
That is because east-west traffic has to pass through the thinnest part of the island, and because far more people live east of Hurleys (thousands and thousands more) than, say, north of the Strand. It has nothing to do with Dart’s road-building prowess. Also, people coming from West Bay could have their workplace be anywhere along their route. People coming from the east are highly likely to need to reach at least town, or file into Industrial Park, etc., which takes longer. Basically, you can contrast them; you can’t compare them.
11:17, is that you Morne?
Dart and the minions need to be stop. This people have lined their pockets enough.
so, vote them out!
stopped.
What’s most shocking is that an entire government can’t come up with a few million dollars without resorting to giving away key land, in part to pay for a deal that itself involved giving away key land due to a lack of funds.
Your own people working against you always. Selling off land, reserves, last of protected areas you name it. Oh and they prefer cheap foreign permit holders working than you too it seems . Accept it.
This is what Cayman wants. Vote it out or shut up as you didn’t vote it out.
They prefer cheap permit holders for the same reasons all other employers do. Being able to pay minimum wage, being able to control, not having to pay pension for the first 9 months.
so these stooges are looking at an agreement to prop up Vulture Boys land values with a SMB sand replenishment scheme and at the same time are about to hand over a whole bunch more beachfront acreage.
Yup, that’s who was elected in. Ya get what ya wanted – happy???
Cayman voters can petition the Governor to immediately dissolve this presumptive opaque government and shelve any 11th hour policy moves until after next elections. Secret backroom deals are precisely why we are today saddled with another $38mln in agreement exit clauses.
OK, ya got me a belly ache from laughing. Where, where, where are you from? Nowhere, nobody, nohow are any of your thoughts getting any consideration. Fantasy.
Franz Manderson “leading” the People’s negotiations!? 😆 🤣 😂 😹
Franz Manderson is the ring leader of the world class civil circus fully of his appointed incompetent minions 🤡
Politics is one job where the dumb and unqualified can get an enormous salary. One they could never hope to earn in private enterprise. Plus the opportunity for all sorts of hidden benefits.
All you need to do is be a multi-generational Caymanian prepared to lie to voters that they are worse off because of all the wicked foreigners. Plus hand out some goodies at election time.
Why isnt this going to a referendum? It is the people’s land? UPM, PPM and Independents needs to go!
The “people”? What people? You mean those who sold their souls to the devil?
I mean Mr Dart??
He has done more for Cayman that is’s own citizens. Prove me wrong.
They say it ain’t over until the fat lady sings and now she is singing away the last pieces of public park we have.
I never liked arias!
Vote these buffoons out! Residents and Caymanians alike are already deprived of beach access and these lunatics want to give more away because they royally screwed up the dump. They need to be held accountable not just give more away of what rightfully belongs to the public!
So, vote them out!
Caymanians such as those that hit inanimate objects and never get breathalyzed…will be in control of this country forever. Saundra the snake will help things along.
This place will soon be under water and I don’t think the Brits will welcome you…especially Catron.
in dart i trust. cig are wasteful idiots.
Not that I agree…, but he has a vision. CIG has none!
More and more I am understanding why other countries have revolutions and overthrow governments. This UPM bunch must be the most corrupt government these islands have ever fallen prey to. Now a minority government, why the hell is Julie and crew being allowed to commit an atrocity such as this?! Caymanians for the love of your islands and your future, STAND up!! For once, stand up against this wrong and further destruction of these islands!
The PPM gifted away hundreds of acres of prime unencumbered crown land for single digit millions in cash, a handfuls of broken promises, and time-retracted benefits. They also presented Dart with $30mln in duty waivers, long ago exhausted on new hotels and renos (the recent Ritz was a $50mln reno alone), but for which Roy McTaggart as Financial Minister admitted he wasn’t keeping track. Who then is?
Viva la revolucion!
You don’t mean that. Stop that nonsense right now! This land will be well taken care of for the better good of the community. Quite frankly Cayman has been lacking in a new Dart resort in quite frankly a long time. You see. glad to help you see clearer now.
I would disagree, corrupt would imply some sort of level of intelligence, this is pure incompetence.
Scrap the Brac school & use the money to pay off Dart. Better yet, scrap the school & build the dump.
I love Whitehall letting us hang ourselves.
Does not matter one iota whether it’s TCI, BVI, Pitcairn or Cayman for that matter it always ends the same, rampant corruption, endemic poor governance and yet the UK does nothing.
And yet the Jamaican interlopers and wannabes still claim we should be independent, as if we aren’t already.
Anguilla and Bermuda seem to be doing ok from I can tell. So there’s that.
Whitehall has nothing to do with this, Caymanians are making self government decisions, which is how they wanted it.
Where did you lose self-responsibility? Cayman (and all UK territories) can choose to be ethical. Don’t blame anyone else for your faults. Cayman deserves what it has elected to become = corrupt, unethical, bought-out, governed by criminals. Why all the grumblings – this is what you wanted to become! Congratulations.
Bullcrap! Sick in the head UPM! I am so tired of these puppets in government 🤢 please Lord, send good, honest and decent people to through their hats in the upcoming elections who will really be for the Caymanian people and these beautiful Cayman Islands 🇰🇾 🙏🙏🙏
Dart and his team are too greedy. Leave that waterfront area undeveloped for our future generation to enjoy.
Greed. Greed. 😭
DART’s superiority in negotiating at the table with the Cayman Islands Govt is an absolute farce. Is this related to any of the amendments to the Conversation Law that’s also currently going through the MLA’s fingertips?
Building a hotel in a National Park, untouched natural habitat, why the F**K can we not preserve anything? Why the F**K does every inch of this island have to be paved over for another concrete eyesore that’s found everywhere else in the world?
We need people leading this country who actually give a F about it, can actually represent US and OUR interests, not a billionaire recluse whose MO is vulture capitalism. He’s been kicked out of other countries for doing the same f**king thing!
How many hotels do we need FFS?
This country has been turned into the personal lego land of a foreigner, who might have status but does not live here, who is destroying it before our very eyes. Our Govt is not representing the people, nor the country, they are simply bending over, rubber stamping and giving it all away.
Enough is enough.
A foreigner not dissimilar tae yersel.
Maybe just ask you know who if you want to fact check. Or did you burn that bridge a little too far?
Born and bed in GT to foreign parents; I from Cayman; nowhere else.
I don’t need to ask about the obvious.
Give me a shout and we can discuss further.
So not Caymanian then. Lay off the herb for a couple of weeks and the fog will start to lift for you.
Away and bile yer heid
OMG, what is wrong with our F$%&ing government. They say Caymanians are giving away their heritage, but government is worse. When will we wake up and stop this madness. we could pay for the outstanding bills if the concessions stopped. Somebody has to wake up and smell the the ‘BullS$%&’ and get us out of this mess, they are putting us in. There will be nothing left for our children or grandchildren.
Your language is offensive and tone of writing is unacceptable. Quite frankly if you did empirical research expanded your horizons freed your mind to be unburdened from what has been then you’ll see much value in this new Dart resort that one day your grandchild will play in and get older work there. You’re welcome
Government is Caymanians. Sorry to break it to you.
We are screwed. Again. Still. Whatever. Those that had the power to make a positive difference chose to screw us and the next generation. NOTHING has been done that benefits the people. NOTHING will be done to benefit us. Where are the bike lanes? Too late for Grand Cayman. Brac is in process of tearing up the roads for the second time, and still no bike lanes.
We have to mitigate the dump! It should be the primary action item!! NOT move it to the detriment of everyone along the path and the benefit of Dart! Mitigate in place and get the [vulgar expletive] recycling on-line and working!! Everywhere else in the world can do it, but we sit on our heels panting like good dogs waiting for Dart to lead the way.
We have to fix the high cost of health care! Our forced pension plan is broken, and people like me are being forced to live on about $ 1000 per month, give or take a few dollars. I have no health care, because, silly me, I had to choose between [same vulgar expletive] EATing and paying my bills and health care. Don’t worry about me though. I’ll soon enough be dead and out of your hair; I’m sure there is yet time for a few more raises for our MPs before I go. You bastards. You make all of us pay for your folly. I have to pray that karma exists.
Disgraceful. So much corruption for such a small country.
Why give away the little natural land we have left? This is our land and the elected officials – soon to be unelected, I hope – need to leave it alone..
Don’t panic, UPM now have a Realtor in the family, who will negotiate the best deal.
You lot are hilarious
Well done Caymanians. Good on you. Sell it all off and be done with it.
Caymanians selling out Cayman again. Same old…but the furriners and expats and foreign developers and all the other evil things right?!
Those in CI Govt are f***ing criminals, anywhere else in the world they’d be gone.
Dart is a f***ing menace and I continue to boycott all that he has that I know…
They all need to go ..
Criminals
Nothing less.
A betrayal of the people’s to give away their assets
How in the world did this bunch of geniuses wind up blowing all our money with the vulture Dart and now give him our land? All done behind closed doors by the brain dead Seymour and supreme blow the money O’Connor. What are they getting in return? How can the Governor just sit their and let this all transpire? Disgusting and completely immoral.
2.03. Our uneducated electorate felt comfortable voting for uneducated candidates….so da wa ya get.
Look at the districts represented by the current UDP/m government, look at the voters , and there you have your answer.
What if Dart wants to turn it into a National Park and leave it completely untouched?
I suppose we can all dream.
Dream yes. They started brilliantly donating land for public beaches in most districts (the staff member that suggested this to them in the 90’s should get recognition). Since then it’s been a one way street in Darts favour. Successive governments given things away in concessions & land swaps.
Mark VanDevelde how do your Caymanian children feel about this?
Jim Lammers I’m surprised you can still come to this island and not be verbally attacked at what your Dart over development has done to the island.
No wonder Dart has started to rape and pillage another Caribbean island.
Enough. Give us back all the Barkers land Ken Dart bought in the 90’s.
Anguilla will learn soon enough.
And what if the premier wants to go on Weight Watchers to look like a model, Bush comes clean on all his dirty deals, Seymour quits drinking and gets rid of his donkey? Dream on that one.
Ain’t no profits in parks.
Yup, keep dreaming 😳
Then he can transfer it to the National Trust.
Dart seek to monetize all of their land. Even the land they are said to be land-banking, and/or rewilding for nature, are untapped carbon credits and mountain bike parks in their eye.
uh-oh..looks like ‘we broke’ again…
have to sell assets to pay for cig failures in years of wasteful negotiations
This is what happens when you let the fox into the hen house.
ha ha ha ha ha ha…idiots!
CIG always bringing a knife to a gunfight.
we need a revolution of the people against these money-hoarding land-losing classists. they take our beachfront and then have the audacity to put “no parking” signs on the side of the road at all the public beach access points. ENOUGH. the MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT need to STAND UP FOR THE PEOPLE, not for Dart and his money-seeking power-hungry team. get out of our islands.
Big Mac made Kenneth Dart and his minions Caymanians
then don’t sell your land
Well, hundreds of acres of crown land were assembled and given away for next to nothing, rather than sold, in exchange for time-fused benefits that were later withdrawn. This is a bad actor
Weeks ago, the government pulled all of those sticks up on West Bay Road and now they have permanent “No Parking” signs up blocking off larger swaths of parking for public beach access points.
Spoiler alert, they will get away with it and you can be sure a cop tickets you because of the wealthy owners.
Will the “civil service negotiating team” declare their individual conflict of interest with the dart group? Clearly this should be placed on hold until after the elections to reflect the will of the voting public.
WTF? Over.
Bad deals, corruption, incompetence plus zero accountability at any level in the governance structure means CIG are always making expensive mistakes and giving away Cayman.
Vultures like the dart group and other developers that control politicians are only too happy to participate and take advantage of the third world style governments and civil service. Corruption is thriving at every level in Cayman especially when the DG projects the Chiefs that play a key role in negotiations and project management of any agreement.
In plain sight
Finally could this be one step too far for Dart, where even the most ardent of supporters see the light and realize the slow coup d’etat unfolding before their eyes?
If anything, Dart should be giving back all his rights to all land in Barkers, and CIG should be creating entirely public beaches and nature trails, etc with zero development and zero allowance for any commercial endeavors whatsoever.
But of course what will happen is that Dart will build a gated, exclusive country club style residence community around a golf course and a hotel you’ll never be able to afford to vist.
I give it 2 years before its marketed, 5 before ground breaks, 10 before its hosting global tournaments.
Cayman – FFS, wake up.
Its not a coup. Juilana etc Intentionally pulled out of the dump deal so they can use it as an excuse and profit individually off of the barkers deal. Cloak and dagger
Don’t believe everything you read on GNS.
Dart seems to own PPM, Joey, Roy, UPM Jon Jon, Juju and Mac Bush. Why does every government and the civil service since 2000 negotiate and sign bad deals which continue to give Cayman away to the developer mafia?
Because they want to SPEND SPEND SPEND with no plan to make money.
Dart wins these negotiations and comes out with the much, much better hand. The people lose out and I have no faith that anyone on that committee has any skill with negotiating.
Civil servants, never having had to earn money, have no understanding of commerce. The situation is made worse because none of them are using their own money, and have no accountability .
Lambs to the slaughter.
Civil servants work harder than you do and earn less than you and live harder than you do, all for you disrespect them like this in their country.
Working hard and having commercial skills and aptitude , are two Very different things.
You have never worked anywhere else but here.
My work here in government is 1/3 of what I did in a year back home. It’s a joke.
Ummm, this is not Jamaica, so in many cases, it is not their country. And there is not a chance”they” work harder than I do.
might as well…West Bayers have turned it into their personal garbage dump anyway.
Better yet, Dart gets the duty waiver but takes from the sub contractors what duty would have been paid. That way Dart/Decco group wins on both ends; they get materials duty free plus take the cash from the sub contractors. Real bunch of scum bags.
Maybe working hard at their side businesses but not one of them really work hard. As for pay, they all get real excessive pay and benefit packages. You get no sympathy from me.
these things happen when you are in the right and have a naturally better stance in negotiations. in dart i trust.
Guess you got a big bonus this year.
September 2020 Alden and JonJon sign the land transfer agreement
March 2021 Alden and JonJon sign the Solid Waste Agreements
Expose what the PPM signed.
Juli and JonJon back in PPM. Wagons circled.
Norm Kline and Appleby team drafted the Third Amended NRA Agreement for the benefit of their client.