Concerns raised over fencing on 7MB
Fence on Seven Mile Beach (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
(CNS) UPDATED: As organisers of the forthcoming music festival complete the preparations on the site owned by the Dart Group, a long line of double fencing has appeared on Seven Mile Beach running parallel to the location. The festival organisers have now responded to CNS inquiries claiming that permission for the fence was granted as part of its temporary event application. But the barrier is very close to the ocean and at odds with comments made by Kaaboo officials that they are ensuring public rights of way have been kept clear.
The event is scheduled to start on Thursday and the fencing appeared on the beach Monday and CNS contacted the organisers as well as the relevant government authorities and Dart.
Jason Felts, KAABOO Partner and Chief Brand Officer, was the first to respond.
“As part of the final stages of set-up for the KAABOO festival this weekend, a temporary fence has been installed along the site’s western perimeter on Seven Mile Beach,” he said in an email. “As the law requires, the fence is set back from the water line and public rights of way have been kept clear to ensure beach access is not impacted.
“Permitting for the fence was approved as part of the temporary event application by the Building Control Unit of the Department of Planning and will be inspected for compliance with the permit prior to the event. KAABOO is working closely with the RCIPS and other regulatory authorities to minimise disruption to members of the public, while ensuring the safety and security of festival-goers on beach property,” he added.
As beach access continues to be a major concern for locals, this latest affront is already causing widespread concerns. Under what laws it has been permitted is not clear especially as it is blocking the beach well below both the high water mark and the vegetation line, and is a clear obstruction.
Local activist Billy Adam, who was the first to circulate video footage of workers erecting the fence Monday, said he believed that the line of fencing was illegal as it breaches the Prescription Law, which deals with beach access. Adam said he believed it is a deliberate attempt to keep Caymanians from using the beach.
CNS will continue to follow up with government and relevant parties regarding the fencing, especially what restrictions have been imposed on the public using the beach, for how long and under what legislation. We will post more information as it becomes available.
Category: Local News
Wrong. I bet the public beach parking will be used by Kaaboo concert goers though.
Doubtful, I hear that Dart has very high respect for beach rights. Just ask the Britannia owners. Kaa…put!
The Mexicans are paying for it.
Dart had to put up a fence or there will be 100’s of folk trying to listen for free when there are 1000’s of unsold tickets.
Already planted my covert digital recording device. Just hope they don’t bulldoze that tree during the festival.
And what pray tell will you do with the recording? Nobody’s there for the music. It’s for the fabulous selfies baby. FYRE!
This is wrong and should not have even be considered. I call on our elected government officials to make this right. Mr. Premier, House Speaker, Leader of the Opposition, Deputy Leader of the Opposition? Anyone to stand up to this guy?
Dart should get his friends at Britannia to petition his rights to fence off that portion of the beach, these people surely would defend Mr. Dart’s beach rights.
Oh, pardon, what was that? Oh, never mind……
OMG a little fence goes up and it makes the news, is there not more important things to worry about!, small island mentality.
Go back to where you came from and put up as many fences as you like…we don’t allow it here. Our beaches are for all to enjoy.
Mr. Dart, Alden and Mac please take a long trip on one of Dart’s jets.
You are three birds of a feather.
We have had enough of you already.
American here and I 100% agree with you. The Dart cancer is thick down there these days. Truly sorry to hear some of the stupid expat comments here these days. Shameful. And by the kind of douche the would attend a Kaboo/Fyre festival? Wow.
I rest my case
No hardly, its what you people call the “thin edge of a wedge”. In other words what next if we let you people get away with this, this time. Activists protect the rights of the silent majority.
Why do the majority expect the “Activists” to do what is the responsibility of every person in a democratic society?
Freedom is a job for all of us every day.
And do what??
DartBot strikes again.
Earn your keep.
It is so a bunch of drunk Kaboo’ers dont drown and sue the event. Clearly the way they have constructed it there is a clear path for anyone wanting to walk north or south along the beach. I guess we are just not used to seeing a well organised event here where lots of money is spent on the important stuff like safety, bathrooms and garbage?
DartBot we see you.
It is good to know that the Caymanian DartBots standby to defend Dart still have their job.
Public rights of way not impacted? You do understand that I have a right of way from the vegetation line to the sea (and back again) all day every day. Jason, if you have a lawyer telling you that that fence does not impact any public rights you should probably get another lawyer, or at least ask them to read the prescription law, and the common law, and get to you.
BINGO! Too many people think the rights are only along the beach, and only for people in motion. That is simply untrue. You have a right to plonk your towel down by the vegation line, sunbathe all afternoon, and get up, go for a swim, and return to your towel, unmolested.
That fence interferes with those rights. The interference may be reasonable, but what really is objectionable is someone saying there is no interference at all. That is plainly wrong.
And how is this different from the temporary road closures which deny me access to parts of West Bay Road during Batabano and Pirates Week? Seems like some are using any means to protest about beach access.
You don’t need a drivers licence to negotiate the beach by foot
Tell that to the Kimpton guards
Tell them (calmly) to perform unmentionable acts on themselves, call some friends and have a barbecue and volley-ball game. They can bring their boats, but no loud music please. Bring a cooler. Give some beers to your new best friend tourists, clean up after yourself and smile, smile, smile. Cayman, take you beach rights back before they are gone forever.
Now THAT is an intelligent way to get your beach back….charm the hell out of their charmless skins.
Where is MLA Tara Rivers who has responsibility over this area? Why is she not commenting?
There should be no fence put up. Period. Regardless of the reason it was erected.
It goes against the LAW in Cayman.
Was this something that was brought forth in the L.A. for discussion and approval? No.
So who is the governing body that approved this illegal action? They should go to jail.
The law is law.
Unless the CIG supersedes it, with the knowledge of and approval from the people of whom they serve, it should not be allowed.
#removethefence
Nor should roads be closed…….yet West Bay Road is closed for 3-4 hours for Batabano parade. In other words, this is a very temporary thing for 4 days for the biggest event Cayman has ever seen.
Batabano does not charge exorbitant amounts of money for tickets!!!!!!!!
Huge difference. HUGE.
Those ridiculous costumes cost more than I paid for my KAABOO tickets. Life is full of choices.
That’s a lie! Batabano and Caymas cost more!
I’m sorry? Since when do people have to pay to go to Batabano?
Your comment backfired 6:59 hahahaha
The Jazz Fest was by far our biggest event to date.
Sorry, Kaaboo takes a back-seat to that event, until they can match the same artist line-up as the Jazz fest. We saw the likes of Natalie Cole, Alicia Keys, George Duke…
“So who is the governing body that approved this illegal action?” Let me answer that for you. It is simple. Dart is the governing body. If you think otherwise you are delusional. He is remodeling the island as he sees fit. Our politicians bow to him and ignor the desire of the people.
Not delusional at all, I see exactly what is happening. Dam shame. The elected officials should not even be showing their faces anymore. It is disgusting.
Oh the outrage! Oh the humanity! Oh the…. freaking out over a temporary fence during a huge event which will funnel more money into this island than a stupid cruise dock. Calm down armchair warriors and people who think this is just a dart event.
It’s a tax payout; wake-up.
Only a fool would try to justify spending $17,000 dollars on a ticket to see “salt n pepper”, or “duran duran”.
RELAX. A temporary fence for a few days during perhaps Cayman’s largest event ever.
Faux controversy.
The moment someone controls my use of the beach to permit their use of the beach, for profit, without licenses and permissions, a line has been crossed. Simple. If there are government approvals, let’s see them. We should get to know who signed, and why.
Go speak to the vendors at public beach and come back to us with that argument. Don’t forget the floating monstrosity off Eden Rock.
Oh please! You have more limited access to a couple hundred yards of the beach for a few days and you act like it is the end of the world, yet your have access to miles and miles. You wont have anywhere to park near here anyway so stop whining — not like this one very Friday and Saturday you had long planned to be on this small sliver of beach.
This is bringing economic benefit to Cayman, and thousands of residents have decided to pay good money to attend this (as am I and looking forward to it).
As Ariana said, “Thank you……NEXT”. So tired of these pessimistic, negative Luddites.
If the quote attributable to the organizer acknowledged interference with public rights, I would agree. The problem is that the quote denies any interference at all. That is what makes it a dangerous precedent.
Shows your level of maturity, referencing a young female artist who sings about vanity all day long.
But you’re right, “next”!
How hideous and ridiculous is that fence!
Rise up Cayman!!!!! You must stop this madness!!
Your roads are going to be blocked up for this outside business festival and now your beach.
Are you all paying attention?
Band together and revolt. Pull out that fence. Get all of your friends together and protest this festival by DART who is going to inconvenience all of you for his benefit and his silk lined purse.
I hear his boxers are silk too. What a demon!
Time for action.
Take the action to Caymana Bay too.
Time to let Dart know a few of us are wsking up.
The fence is to stop Debbie Harry and all the other hitherto-presumed-dead artists from stumbling into the ocean
LMAO
Looks like it’s intended to keep the KAABOO crowds from overflowing and blocking the beach, and to keep passages open for regular beach walkers.
Fence to hinder.a; beach fornication at night b ; boaters landing & storming up after some correctly priced and administered dark& stormys abord. I’m actually shocked they haven’t put Normandy hedge-hogs on waters edge and out to the 200 yard markers . I plan to be on the boat with about 60 others anchored off , over Queens bottom.
I can tell you’re a sailor!
On a side note, how much are they paying The RCIPS for the additional police presence and how much are they paying government for use of the public beach parking lot? Every major event around the world has to pay for these things, so they better not try and use the boost to the economy nonsense.
My friend has said the RCIPS are refusing to pay officers any overtime and breaking labour laws.
So I wonder where the money will go
For Dart it will be free, he gets richer off of us.
Wow that certainly is not at the high water mark as it should be, and it certainly doesn’t look good from any angle. It looks like something Trump wants to build. A row of potted palms and a few security guards at an entrance or two would have been much more appealing for those at Kaaboo and walking past. They should have been able to manage that given the beach access areas all seem to come with additional fees to gain access to.
You are right ! The high water mark is much closer to the water – they should move it to the actual hwm LOL
Vegetation line is where the prescriptive rights start, and the water is where the land ends and the Queen’s Bottom starts. All people in Cayman have a right to peaceably enjoy the whole area, not just to pass and re-pass.
Build a wall!
So attendees are allowed to “bask” and swelter in the sand at the various designated “beaches”, look at the water steps away, but are not allowed to go in and cool themselves?
What in the world are you talking bout?
Read it again slowly.
One of the only items you are allowed to bring to concert is a beach towel, presumably to swim somewhere at one of the cordoned-off beach areas on the event map.
https://www.kaaboocayman.com/map
https://www.kaaboocayman.com/sun-sand
There’s not much point carrying a towel to the event if concert-goers aren’t going to be allowed in the water between sets….$2000 to play cornhole?!?
Um, that’s actually untrue. Sunscreen? Water bottle?
They on that Molly already…
Relax everyone – the festival is over by Sunday and the fence will be gone. Sadly, the travesty that is Public Beach will remain unchecked. Put this same energy into sorting out that mess but since that’s got nothing to do with Dart, its not as much fun is it?
Precisely
Best comment so far………….
DartBot you know how it goes, give Dart an inch and he will take a mile, road and Island.
…and with the collaberation of the well taken care of politicians..
Dart still have quite a few unfulfilled obligations in regards to Public Beach and parkland commitments. In prep for KAABOO, they donated some paint to Lions volunteers to repaint the gazebos on their behalf. It is all one organism.
Can’t imagine why anyone would want to volunteer to pick up plastic litter from Barefoot Beach for him either.
So you say Dart puppetsJust like Britannia owners will get there rights back.
yawn…the anti-dart rhetoric on cns is scraping barrels now….
DartBots wa hapon to your instantaneous responders, your thumb up numbers are falling. 🙂
Seems like the chosen class does not want anyone to say anything about the royal highness. All bow to the money throne!
Here again everyone upset and rightfully so, about another case of pushing the limits by Dart. I wonder though how many of you will boycott everything Dart as I have since November 2012. That is the only way that people like that get the message. If ALL Caymanian boycotted EVERY business at Camana Bay for one month, maybe then, and only then will they get the message.
I boycott the place. I don’t even go to the movie theatre. I can download, wait until the movie hits TV/Amazon/Netflix or watch when I travel. The rest on offer at Camana Bay isn’t that exciting. The restaurants aren’t that great. The atmosphere is quickly boring. It is mostly the Johnny come later expats that are nuevo rich because I’m their home country they would never make such money in their entire life.
I know this because I used to work overseas. Not for money – obviously – for the pretend international experience that these companies request and prefer. You know what I found out? Just what we all thought. It is all a farce. But I did return with quick promotions due to this pathetic international experience.
Background Dart, why aren’t there heavy protests? I’m tired of his bullying and do not look forward to the day he decides to go to another pretty location and take over.
Very bitter. Didn’t make it overseas?
That when your little inheritance plan closed down?
A storm in a seacup!. It’s only temporary and will be far less obstructive than these constant barriers erected in downtown George Town, closing off arterial roads such as Harbour Drive and Cardinal Ave and causing traffic chaos.
Exactly!!
Putting everything aside, what will it be used for??
It’s meant to keep out the Riff Raff like you and me just like the walkways in south sound ain’t No Big Deal $$$. You voted for a party who claimed what they do is for the love of the people The problem was they did not tell which people they love embrace your Unity Gowerment sponsored by the most influential Caymanian ever to set foot on these shores Dart!!!
Please just cut down that horrific monument to plastic pollution, aka the Shoe Tree. And while you are here explain the No Parking paint in the parking bays, Could it be that permitting the residence across the road to build its walls right to the road boundary now makes it unsafe?
The walls weren’t on the boundary initially. Government moved the road to accommodate the exorbitantly priced boardwalk which is why there is no space for parking on that side.
Trump has arrived??????
Hello Troll
Goodness gracious – when did we as a people get so caught up. Not everything is a trap or a threat to rid the island of Caymanians.- It’s an event, events have TEMPORARY measures in place to ensure the event runs smoothly. Stop acting like barbarians.
Well said! Sometimes people just need to calm themselves. Then again this is CNS! 🙂
True say !
I agree, events often have temporary restrictions, such as Pirates week, Batabano, etc., blocking roads and pedestrian access. Last Pirates Week a whole section of the area by the harbour was fenced off for a paid concert.
Government closes off public access. Government has a right to do so. Are you suggesting the Government has put up these fences?
No. They’re saying the government agreed to let them put up the fences temporarily for the event. Temp-or-ar-ily. As in they’ll be gone by Monday. Relax.
The event is over on Saturday. Monday is way too late.
Ok Maple Leaf
Yea replaced by bigger ones!
That’s NOT the beach.
True dat !
From my firsthand dealings, DART consistently seem to go one or two steps beyond the rational limit of their authority. Power-drunk employees enjoy the fantasy that the money is somehow theirs to wield without restriction or consequence. It’s a recurring disorder that pervades the entire organization.
Calm down! It’s a temporary fence for an event. Over react much?! Lol
Jason felts works for Richard Branson.
Is that what his work permit says?
yeah, like a branson company ya dimwit.
It’s a test, later on these wooden fences will be replaced by 6 foot high walls locking off beach. Call what I say a stretch but it’s coming soon to a Dart owned beach near you.
Build the wall!
Yes it is a “Temporary Fence” and will come down by Sunday, but this is after all a “Public Beach”, there should be no fencing at all. You nor I would ever get away with this
You don’t have enough money to throw a proper festival I bet either!
Commonly know as “pushing the envelope”, well that envelope is now a ballon!
If this “fence” is meant to stop locals from accessing the beach, it doesn’t seem very effective…
Unless it’s been put up for some other purpose and alarmists are jumping to conclusions prematurely?
Nah couldn’t be that…
Very odd. I am assuming it is intended to discourage people congregating on that part of the beach as from there you are likely able to clearly hear the music? Or discouraging people parking their boats their to attend the event?
Should hear an explanation today….
We all have a right to peaceably congregate on the beach.
Who stopping you?
That fence and whatever plans there are that make it necessary.
I’m amazed at how silent our politicians are…Why are they so afraid to speak out on anything DART does? Are they being paid to keep their mouths shut?
I appreciate that DART has done a lot to develop the islands economy but that does mean that he can have carte blanche to do everything he wants to do without any repercussions..
I am not amazed at the silence of the politicians. They are all in Darts pocket. They do what he wants and then they keep their mouths shut. That is why Dart is able to re-model our island at will. Never asking or listening to the people.
Because they do not want to loose the extra money they get.
They probably all got VIP tickets
But of course…..
Unless the police remove it, the people will. Enough of this crap!
Let me see you remove Frank Flowers beach blocking fences come June.
Calm down. They will remove it after Sunday. Temporary. Fool.
Looks like it is to keep all the festival trash from blowing into the ocean.
even if it wasn’t originally, that’s the answer they should go with now.
That’s a good extra use for it
Temporary fencing you say? Access not blocked you say? Yawn.
wtaf??!!
Wtaf- a temporary fence.
One of these days people will wake up to the reality that money controls what does and does not happen in the Cayman Islands. It always has and it probably always will.
Flowers Sea Swim being an annual reminder
Quite an obstacle for turtles..
Yes it would be. Were it any month between May and November. As it is February, we can move on without concern.
It is not for turtles. It is for herding sheep. Move along now. Nothing to see here.
…. and as you move along, southbound traffic on the right, northbound on the left, good old USA style.
Warning to the north bound flock. Your feet are going to get wet whether you want them to or not, and every step you take you will be closer to where MAC lives.
Ha, my thought process echoed these posters. Turtles! Wait, not nesting season.
OMG. However are we going to poach them to feed our starving families with this fence there?!
Someone should ask the DOE who monitors that stretch of beach for them during nesting season.