The desperate need for affordable homes in the Cayman Islands led to environmental concerns being dismissed during a recent meeting of the Central Planning Authority.
The authority gave the government’s Lands and Survey Department permission to divide up four Crown-owned plots in East End, Grand Cayman, into a 54-lot residential community.
Once divided, the 20-acres on Austin Connolly Drive will include an elderly people’s home, a small park and a community centre, along with affordable plots for independent builders.
In its submissions to the planning authority ahead of the 15 March meeting, the Department of Environment advised that the original plans be altered.
It said the unique geology and landscape of the land where the development is planned could be promoted as a tourist attraction similar to Hell in West Bay, and named ‘Hell East’.
Building on it will mean that opportunity will be “permanently lost”, so the Crown plots should instead be divided into three parts, the department suggested.
The southern part could contain higher density housing such as serviced townhouses, assisted living or accessible apartments.
In the centre, the land containing dry shrubland could remain in its natural state with the introduction of walking paths and seating, the department said.
While the northern part of the site which is dark limestone rock, could incorporate a viewing platform and interpretative signage to become a Crown-owned tourism attraction.
However, the Department of Planning said a government department submitted the plans for the Crown land, so development must meet the government’s “broader policy goals”.
The Central Planning Authority dismissed the Department of Environment’s suggestions and approved the original plans.
Wilbur Welcome, acting chief officer in the Ministry for District Administration and Lands, said the concept of the subdivision is as a pilot project for providing affordable housing.
The government will put the plots on sale at cost, he added during the meeting, but Cabinet has not yet finalised the qualifying criteria potential buyers.
He said he expects the subdivision to be complete before the end of the year, and stressed that this is not a National Housing Development Trust project.
The minutes of the meeting were published on 31 March on the Central Planning Authority website at www.planning.ky.
The Compass reached out to the Department of Environment and the Lands and Survey Department for a comment and is awaiting a response.
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