More trees being removed in failed GT revamp
(CNS): The beleaguered George Town Revitalisation Initiative (GTRI) is encountering more problems. A release from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Lands said they must move three palm trees from the George Town waterfront this month “due to their hazardous positioning”. Although the capital is woefully short of trees and native plant life, officials said the replacement trees will not be planted in George Town but in the Scranton Park project.
The ministry officials did not say how they intend to address the overall inadequate shade provision in downtown George Town. Many see the costly and long-running GTRI as a complete failure, and even the tourism minister said last week that he was not satisfied with it.
Acting Chief Officer Wilbur Welcome, from the lands ministry, said that “protecting national infrastructure and public safety is essential”. He said that one Royal Palm located on private property along Mary Street and two Washingtonia Robusta Palms near the former Tower Building site pose a risk to the national power infrastructure.
The release said that due to their height and location, trimming or continued maintenance was not a viable solution, and the property owner on Mary Street had agreed to the removal. The trees will be carefully removed by CUC and replaced at no cost to the Cayman Islands Government, the release said.
The replacement trees will be planted at Central Scranton Park, ensuring the preservation of the species while eliminating the associated risks.
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Category: Local News
Criminal use of public money.
Miami is removing 15% of its palm trees and replacing them with shade trees. We should learn by mistakes made by others. Our government has a lot of learning to do.
It’s not a government. It’s an assortment of dishonest, stupid, corrupt, unqualified knuckle-draggers and window-lickers, each of whom are solely appointed because of their self-serving venal desire to steal as much money from Cayman as humanly possible.
Cayman politicians are among the very worst in the entire world.
I’m not sure why RBC, Scotia, and FirstCarribean still insist on having a presence in central George Town. When you consider the amount of parking required for staff and customers, they contribute greatly to the parking issues. There is simply no need for those banks to be located in central George Town. There are many options for them to relocate outside of the centre of town, just like CNB did. Government should also consider buying the Thompson Building which they could tear down and replace with a multistorey parking structure. Anyone who climbs the stairs of the building will see the problem with spalling (splitting concrete) which makes the building a hazard. I know that building is at least 50 years old and past its useful life. Just my thoughts.
What a claistergarkin royal mess!!
CIG Civil Service (public services in general) needs to invest in AI!!
Artificial morons can’t be any worse!!!
Put the power lines underground and connect the sidewalks and finish this job
Even is this picture the ugly power lines all over the place. CUC!!! Bury the damn power lines
You know how much that costs?
You know how much they profit?
How much does it cost to replace them every time a big storm visits?
Who would plant tall trees under electric power lines? Only an idiot.
By way of a preamble, I don’t work for Dart, I just think that George Town is a disaster, and moving the capital to Camana Bay would do wonders for the credibility and efficiency of the Cayman Islands. George Town is presently deeply embarrassing whenever we have international visitors (either personal or professional).
George Town is currently plagued by congestion and lacks the infrastructure to support any further development, much less anything First World/world-class. George Town was historically the heart of Cayman commerce, but it has suffered from significant congestion and infrastructure challenges that cripple its potential. Parking is scarce, traffic flows poorly, and the overall environment does not align with the needs of international professionals visiting for high-value financial matters. Cricket Square, while a worthy office park, is just that: an out-of-town office park. It similarly suffers from limited dining and communal options, and its parking situation remains problematic, particularly during peak business hours.
In contrast, Camana Bay stands out – without hyperbole – as a beacon of modern urban planning and community design (e.g. unlike George Town, it actually has been planned and designed!). It is not just a business district but a vibrant, integrated community space that combines functionality with aesthetic appeal. Camana Bay offers:
• Abundant parking: Ensuring that all visitors have easy access without the hassle of having to park offsite and walk extended distances.
• Diverse amenities: With numerous dining options, shopping facilities, and cultural attractions, it provides a welcoming environment, which is crucial for clients and professionals who might spend considerable time in the area. It’s only tangentially relevant to this discussion, but where are the George Town equivalents to Camana Bay’s two separate water features where I take my kids? Or the ‘mini desert island’? George Town is ‘Blackpool with sunstroke’: a higgledy-piggledy random assemblage of buildings defined by cruise tourism junk shops and slowly failing legacy retail outlets.
• Strategic location: Situated away from the dysfunction of George Town, and in the middle of Seven Mile Beach corridor, and easily accessible for visitors in hotel accommodation in Seven Mile Beach and West Bay, it offers a serene yet accessible location, enhancing the focus on professionalism and efficiency.
• Architectural and design excellence: Camana Bay is known for its high standards of architecture and urban planning, thereby reinforcing the Cayman Islands’ reputation as a sophisticated financial jurisdiction. Compare George Town to New York or London, or – more relevant as a competitor – Singapore. George Town feels like the third world.
• Proximity to other businesses: Camana Bay is the location of choice for business. Moving the capital there would streamline operations, making it easier for professionals to manage their schedules efficiently.
By moving the capital to Camana Bay, and allowing George Town to focus exclusively on cruise tourists, we would not only address the practical failure of George Town to evolve, but also make a statement about our commitment to excellence in the financial services sector. This would align with our broader aspirations to be recognised as a sustainable financial hub which intends to remain a competitor in the face of serious challenges from both Singapore and Dubai.
In summary, Camana Bay is a modern, carefully planned community designed around walkability, ample amenities, and efficient traffic management—features that set it apart as a prime location to become the capital in lieu of George Town. It offers a balanced mix of restaurants, retail, and green spaces that promote both productivity and client hospitality. Crucially, parking and vehicular flow have been integrated into the master plan, ensuring a smoother experience for tourist visitors and professionals alike.
‘Abundant parking’ you say?
Well said. George Town is ‘Blackpool with sunstroke’.
without the fun and nightlife.
Camana Bay is welcone to park the cruise ships there!
I didn’t realise CNS were accepting Advertorials .
Yoooo, Ken. You seen the parking there for a regular day? or when there’s any kind of event?
One of the issues we have here is the number of drivers who don’t have a blue disabled card, but park like they do. “hmmm, I could park appropriately just 10 metres away, but nah, I think I’ll park on this corner, or double park, just because.”
Also, central GT is still one ugly clusterf**k.
Parking?? There is not enough parking available for staff much less for customers. Apart from a number of various restaurants located at Camana Bay for convenience, it is really overrated and over priced.
Yes people, the political directorate is ultimately responsible. But ALL public projects are conducted or “managed” by people in the Civil Service or Govt SAGC.
These are the true culprits of the problems within public projects. Yet Franz Manderson keeps smiling and promoting his 5K! No accountability!!
Franz, Eric, Stran and other “leaders” of the CS need to go!!!
People follow the directives they receive. Are we just going to blame, or try to identify the root problem in order to propose a solution?
08 @ 1:03pm – There you are partially wrong. In a properly working Executive/Administrative working relationship, the Civil Service provides the “expertise” to achieve the goals of the political directorate. That “expertise” should included proper advice, good research, good management of funds and projects, etc.
The political arm might direct but saying the outcomes are all based on political input is BS.
Clearly you don’t understand, like most who are elected and many who are appointed!!
Personally, I’ve complained AND identified the bulk of the problem in my posts and I will reiterate. The Civil Service morons who are either too dumb or too weak to properly advise the moron politicians, too dumb or careless to manage projects efficiently, too dumb or Lodge connected to care!! That is the bulk of the problem! Solution you ask? I’ve proposed it and named some who need to GO!! Franz, Eric, Stran, for a start. Gloria is no star either but she gets to hide under Franz!!
A more pragmatic and fitting approach, although medieval might be to have them keel-hauled for their mismanagement. If they are merely shown the door, and in Cayman that CS door is a revolving one, they’ll always come back. Just like other deadbeat CS lifers they get garden leave and then get recycled into OfReg, Ombudsman’s office, CPA or other board where they can still inflict damage.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha……residents mugged off again by the most incompetent ‘government’ on the planet.
there is no-one in cig or civil service with expertise or qualifications to address a re-vitalisation project of this scope.
civil service is filled with poorly educated people with zero ability to tackle these issues.
if we can’t be honest and face these facts we will never be closer to a solution.
Particularly PWD lacking professionally qualified Engineers, Quantity surveyors and Architects.
The civil servants they do have under these titles have no accountability to those whose money they’re spending, or whose lives they are adversely impacting…as illustrated by the GT revitalization and Kenny park projects.
Retractable bollards at either end of the street was all that was needed and some trees planting either side of the road to offer shade – that way people could enjoy the pedestrian space during the day, and during the early hours and evening, revert back to a road for delivery and thoroughfare, not difficult. Unless you’re a jobsworth civil servant trying to justify your inflated salary and existence that is.
Everyone involved in this project should be fired, sued, and some jailed.
I drove by the post office for the first time the other day and almost lost my mind.
We spent how much money and disrupted how many businesses for how many months for what?!? A slightly different intersection that’s barely distinguishable from the old one? Not one single extra parking spot?!?
What the actual hell is going on with this gtri? Whoever is running it should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. Global friggin embarrassment.
Waste of money. All GT needed was more parking.
Pearlina is behind it, in more ways than one.
Her husband right? LMFAO and she killed me last night the way she spoke about it, acting like she didn’t have any knowledge in that shitshow! NEXT!
A vote for PPMPearlina is a vote for more ignorant projects from an inept PPMWD who will be emboldened by support from low people in high places.
$ix month project, two year$ ago. But hey, who’$ counting?
‘….and even the tourism minister said last week that he was not satisfied with it.’
Who cares what he thinks or says!
A couple of crack heads and dumb dumb?
Cheesy!
Not enough trying to take peoples land, taking trees from people now for the ‘park’. Pay for them out of your own pocket, it’s stacked enough with peoples money and who is gonna use the park…
Meanwhile I cannot plant my grape trees at Red Spot Beach as part of my own beautification project because CIG wants it for their cruise ship terminal. Yet I am the registered owner of the land.
“Justice isn’t real it is written by the winners.”
Keep the voting populace uneducated, get uneducated and corrupt politicians in office. Welcome to Hell.
Reaping thee rewards of “Caribbeanising” of the public school system with Jamaican teachers, and sadly that is the end result.
Thank you, I have been preaching this on this platform. People are seeing it now for themselves. A complete overhaul of the education system is the only way to save this country.
Unfortunately it’s been going on for 50+ years. What you see now is because of it, even the private schools were affected.
Not 50 years 3:04. I was at High School then and we had some great British teachers who really helped us learn. There were some good Caribbean ones too, it should be said. The so-called Caribbeanising that people complain about now came in with certain anti English civil servants in the education portfolio and a politician with chips on their shoulders about race and color in Cayman.
First world teachers not only bring learning, but also lessons in respect for Authority, good manners,and civilized behaviour to the benefit of the wider community.
How many times have employers complained that school leavers show up late for interviews, are dressed scruffily, can’t stand up to shake hands.
Trump would have had this done correctly and in weeks not years
One day 1, maybe even before day 1.
Stop with the Trump, another moron!
First thing they did when developing the new Scranton Park, was to remove all the existing matured trees and then marl over everything, lol
Did they use the same genius PWD “architect” who has given us the GT chaos known as the misnamed “revitalization”.?
Pure lack of thought and waste of public funds by people who just don’t care.
In fairness, it did revitalize a few pockets.
Yet it is existing mature trees which provide maximum environmental benefits.
The new Cayman tradition
PPM initiative. Hailed by Hew since 2018 or 2019 as being GT’s saving Grace. #VotePPMOut
Y’all elect the exactly same set, wanna bet?
Thats what happens when the same people/parties keep getting reelected. I know they change ever four years but its just more of the same. One party doesn’t do anything and don’t get elected. Four years later the other party doesn’t do anything so the first party gets reelected. Hopefully the new Party that are not career poenliticians will get elected and change things up. I say that then give my head a shake as it probably won’t happen and it will be just more of the same.
I have been on Island 20 years. How many millions have been spent on the cruise port and Garbage issues. One party signs a MOU the other party comes in and cancels it and buys their way out of the MOU. What a waste of time in money. If i was a betting person i would say there has probably been over 100 Million spent on these 2 projects in the last 20 years.
I pointed out a while ago that at least eight of the newly planted trees on Cardinal Avenue had died. I was told that there was an irrigation system watering them, but sadly no one had checked whether it had been working to more than half of the trees. It obviously had not. Those trees cost a lot of money, and we need shade desperately. So sad that they panted them, ticked the box on it being done, and then walked away. Trees need to be watered, looked after, pruned and nurtured to thrive. Whoever was in charge of the planting project should be questioned about this so that this does not happen again.
I have yet to see a capital project in the last 40 years which included maintenance in the funding; we build it and from that point on, the project is on its own. What did we think would happen?
Failure after failure, please DO NOT re-elect any of these bozos.
ENOUGH ALREADY!
How much more Kenneth Juju Mac PPM can we afford..?
By the way I agree with you about not electing any of the bozos again, but surely you don’t think that our Mp’s should be checking on trees planted during a town center Revitalization Project?
Maybe Colin doesn’t like trees?
The MP should certainly haul the backsides of those in charge into his office and demand answers, but I guess that may lose him a few voters.
Who is chief of PWD sleeping on the job and enjoying his massive pay plus COLAs.?
Vote all PPM out for a better Cayman Is. Enought are too much of them. they need to go.