The Central Planning Authority has approved a $90 million three-storey 108-apartment complex and self-storage facility along the Seven Mile Beach corridor.
The Libanon Group presented its application for the project, which is called Governor’s Village, to the CPA on Wednesday.
Forty-two owners at neighbouring The Pinnacle condos on West Bay Road lodged objections against the proposed project.
Those owners, represented by attorney Nick Dixey, contended that the storage facility goes against the planning regulations stipulated for the area and would impact the enjoyment of their property.
However, Eamon Wilson of consultancy firm Blue Cap, attorney Michael Alberga and Trio architect Mike Stroh, in making their pitch for approval Wednesday, said that the project fits into the Plan Cayman strategy being developed for Seven Mile Beach.
Wilson, Director at BlueCap, lead agent for the application, commenting on successful application told the Cayman Compass, “We were pleased to present Governors Village on behalf of our client, Libanon Corporation, to the Central Planning Authority yesterday [Wednesday] and we look forward to receiving their formal decision next week.”
He said, Governors Village, designed by Mike Stroh at Trio Architecture, “brings a vibrant residential community to the Governors beach neighborhood and will complement and support surrounding developments such as Governors Square and The Grove.”
The project is earmarked for a 4.37-acre vacant lot on West Bay Road adjacent to Governor’s Square.
Comprising 254 bedrooms and 187 parking spots. the project falls under the neighbourhood commercial zone, which only allows residential development above the ground floor.
In their pitch for the approval Wilson told the CPA that the proposed apartments and storage facility will meet the needs of the growing community in the area.
Dixey, in his objection to the project, contended that the proposal is counter to the regulations which require mixed-commercial development rather than residential property.
The self-storage facility was “self serving” and cannot be considered commercial, he said, adding, “This is light industrial.”
He also pointed to what he called a regulatory breach with the proposed height of the building, saying there is no basis for it to be higher than 40 feet.
Wilson said two market analyses were conducted for the project and both found a need for storage space and affordable apartments.
Stroh said modifications recommended by the National Roads Authority have been instituted in the design to reduce traffic and ensure motorists safely exit and enter the development.
CPA chairman A. L. Thompson stated that it appeared the NRA had given its blessing for “this to work”, after highlighting the issue of cars accelerating and decelerating to enter and exit the complex at the Esterley Tibbetts Highway.
Stroh said a parallel lane will be created for merging traffic.
The Department of Environment, in its comments on the application, said the site is “heavily man-modified” and is therefore of limited ecological value.
It recommended that native vegetation be incorporated into the landscaping scheme as it is “best suited for the habitat conditions of the site, requiring less maintenance and making a cost-effective and sustainable choice for landscaping”.
However, the DoE noted that the site is located across from a critical turtle nesting spot on Governor’s Beach.
“We believe that The Pinnacle condo building and the existing vegetation in the empty lot immediately to the west of the proposed condos will prevent artificial illumination from being visible from the beach and impacting sea turtle nesting activity. Nonetheless, the applicant should be mindful that they are located near a critical turtle nesting habitat when designing the lighting for the apartment complex,” the DoE said.
Although the DoE did not request turtle-friendly lighting for this property, it asked that floodlights or spotlights directed towards the turtle nesting beach not be used.
The application was accompanied by letters of support from occupants of Governor’s Square and other neighbours.
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Stop! Stop! When is such development going to stop? Grand Cayman is saturated in buildings. Who is buying all this property?
At the present rate of proposed development there will be no natural habitat left. The excitement of seeing bird life, agoutis, marine life will very soon be gone.
An inevitable result of this type of development is that the beaches in front of the Pinnacle and similar developments will become more crowded.
No argument that the beaches up to the high water mark are public property.
But how do the owners of these expensive condominiums prevent the use of their beach chairs, their swimming pool and their showers?
Will these developments increase or reduce the value of those condominiums who thought they were buying into a quiet development with occasional use by local families?
Killing the golden goose that has made Seven Mile Beach property so valuable.
We are talking about a public beach Governors. Pinnacle has a full time guard so he will keep outsiders off their property. There is a ton of sand in front of Pinnacle so there should be no problem with people using the beach
I have enjoyed Cayman since 1979 when I was a young 20 yr something. There was very little on West Bay Road. I could drive a moped around the entire island and feel safe. I watched Cayman grow over the years and was worried about the fast growing commercial progress. I still love the island and the people, but these Billionaires who force building on every tiny piece of land and calling it “progress” is ruining the beautiful, peaceful Cayman I love. The island folk didn’t know what they were getting into. Now they ripped down Calico Jacks and are building yet another monstrous building they are going to charge exorbant rates to stay. Beautiful walks along 7 mile beach are becoming a thing of the past unless you are a multi-millionaire. Call some place paradise and kiss it goodbye…. Please wake up my Caymanian friends and stop this unnecessary building that will lose the beauty and innocence of Cayman… what is left of it…