Building aesthetics: local architects respond to call for control
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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from April 1987.
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"In the US and the UK, where very restricting planning regulations have come into effect, you end up with a characterless image with very little opportunity for expression," said Mr. Doak.
Mr. Jim Scott, another architect with Onions, Bouchard and McCulloch, said he disagreed with the contention that the planning board needed more aesthetic control.
"In my opinion," said Mr. Scott, "after seeing what happened in the UK, aesthetic control of any sort is not the answer. The planning authority here has plenty of control at the moment. The law already dictates the use of the building (by zoning), the size of the building (by density), and the height of the building. The external appearance should be left to the architect and the developer."
However, Miss Debbie Drummond, the Acting Director of Planning, said that while "the law contemplates such control, in practice" it does not work that way.
"If it comes down to a clash between the developer and planning, nine times out of ten, the developer wins," she said. She also emphasises that the developer often takes advantage of imprecise guidelines.
"A lot of the time architects are not allowed to practise architecture," she said. "The large projects, for example, are usually designed out of the country and the local architect just works on the final details and gets the project approved," she said. John Doak said he supported regulations which would designate certain areas for preservation or which would seek to maintain a desirable existing style.
"But not to the point where they're dictating what a building looks like entirely," he said.
"If they're talking, for example, about restricting commercial hamburger stalls from Seven Mile Beach, that's fine. The last thing anybody wants is Sunset Strip on West Bay Road," said Mr. Doak.
Mr. Scott said he "felt very strongly that aesthetic control would reduce everything to one standard. You can go to the UK and Europe and see that's exactly what has happened".
