A proposal to demolish the 35-year-old Aqua Bay Club on Seven Mile Beach and build a luxury 10-storey apartment block in its place is facing considerable opposition.
The Central Planning Authority has received 43 objection letters to the $60 million plan from nearby residents and homeowners, with some signed by more than one person.
Among their concerns are the building’s appearance, with its size blocking out sunlight, daylight and views from neighbouring properties; traffic noise and fumes; disruption to nesting turtles; and beach erosion from a protective seawall.
“Attempting to squeeze this massive size of a project into the frontage/property width area of Aqua Bay… is an affront to every proprietor on each side of the project,” one letter said.
Meanwhile, the Planning Department said the proposed tower is actually 11 storeys or more, as it includes an underground parking floor and two levels of rooftop structures.
“The authority has no discretion to allow more than 10 storeys,” it said, referring to the Development and Planning Regulations, 2022.
This is the first time the plan has been submitted for approval, after the company in 2020 announced that the current condo owners had voted in favour of the site’s redevelopment.
If approved, the Butler Development Group will take control of the project – which will see the existing property torn down and the pool demolished.
A tower block with 38 apartments and a pool will be constructed on the 1.4-acre beachfront plot, along with 63 parking spaces – some on a plot on the other side of West Bay Road.
The proposal is detailed in the agenda for the upcoming meeting of the Central Planning Authority on Wednesday, 11 Oct., when it will be discussed.
‘Strenuous’ objections
The 43 letters of objection to the planning authority all came from residents or owners of the adjacent properties – The Palms and Silver Sands.
Most used the same template, “strenuously” objecting to the proposal and describing eight reasons why.
Firstly, the letters said physical characteristics of the proposed tower are “totally inconsistent” with the character of the surrounding properties.
They added that there is no application for planning permission to tear down the existing development.
“The dust, noise, pollution and vibrations from the demolition and the new construction will have an adverse effect on the neighbouring properties,” the letters read.
In their fourth point, the objectors said the critical mass and height of the tower will block daylight, sunlight and views for those living in the adjacent properties.
The entry and exit lanes of the parking garage on each side of the building will bring vehicles, exhaust fumes and noise very close to the adjacent properties, their letters said.
Meanwhile, parking on the other side of West Bay Road will create even more traffic and danger of accidents for vehicles and pedestrians, the objectors suggested.
In their seventh point, they said the site is a very active sea turtle nesting area, and the likely two- to three-year project will “almost certainly have an adverse effect”.
Finally, the letters said the plans for an elevated concrete retaining wall on the beachside of the pool deck could cause “significant erosion issues” on Seven Mile Beach during storms.
The letters conclude by strongly urging the Central Planning Authority to reject the application.
Other objectors’ concerns included the impact to rentals in the adjacent properties, the lack of an environmental impact study and no consideration of the affordable housing crisis.
A ‘viable’ development
Butler Development Group, in its letter to the planning authority, said the current owners of Aqua Bay Club’s 21 condos approached them to investigate rebuilding their homes in 2019.
“The costs of constant repairs, evidence of concrete [spalling] (cracked patches), dated building design and lack of amenities to attract tourists motivated [them] to look to other options,” the group said.
After carrying out financial modelling, the developers decided that adding another 17 apartments to the site was “viable”. However, current regulations only allow 34.5.
“The existing regulation related to density is imbalanced and prohibits the financial viability of redevelopment,” the group said, adding it has not changed in line with building height.
They asked for a variance in density, and insisted the property will be consistent with the character of the surrounding area, and not impact setback or building height regulations.
The developers added that it will not be materially detrimental to anyone living or working in the vicinity, to the adjacent properties, to the neighbourhood, or to public welfare.
“The existing swimming pool will be removed to create a far greater sand foreshore and thereby increase turtle nesting habitat [and] the project name will be changed to just Aqua Bay.
“Additional land across the road will be utilised for parking per regulations and will remove the unsightly aspect of garbage containers on the beachfront site,” they said.
Butler Development Group said, if approved, the project will create $10 million in development revenue for the government and “excellent” employment opportunities.
“Additionally, refreshing our tourism accommodation product will create increased tourism tax recurrent revenue along with sustainable employment,” the developers said.
Low rise to high rise
According to the Department of Environment in its analysis of the project, it said the proposal is another in a string of similar redevelopment projects along Seven Mile Beach.
“It is highly likely that other existing low-rise condominiums will also seek to redevelop into 10 storey buildings and this is changing the nature of Seven Mile Beach,” it said.
The department suggested that these higher, more densely populated buildings will introduce more people onto the beach and exacerbate traffic issues for the area.
They will also be visually prominent which will change the view of Seven Mile Beach from low rise to high rise, it added.
The department recommended the Central Planning Authority give “due holistic consideration to visual impact and the impacts of daylight, sunlight and overshadowing both at a development-specific scale and more generally as part of development planning for the islands”.
The DoE also drafted several conditions for the developers that will help to protect nesting turtles and the surrounding beach and marine environment.
The proposal will be discussed at the Wednesday, 11 Oct., meeting of the Central Planning Authority and the decision published in the minutes about three weeks later.
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If the Planning Board could give planning permission for the two monolithic condo buildings on the South Sound seafront dwarfing all residences nearby, then this one’s a shoo-in.
I thought there were regulation in Grand Cayman to limit the building height to lower than the tall palm trees.
So sad. They may think they’re providing more current housing for tourists, but who wants to go there anymore!!!
My family has a place right beside Aqua Bay.
This high-rise will heavily impact our next few years while it is built, let alone block out Sun and greatly affect the entire Beach.
Erosion. Turtle nesting.
Just overall enjoyment of walking up to Cemetery Beach. They will no doubt claim any beach left in front as “Theirs” should they build their proposed sea wall.
NO TO THIS BUILD!!!!!
All the other buildings in that area are being renovated and fixed up. Those buildings regardless of height, are for the most part, well over 50 years old. That area too has long been approved for 10-12 story buildings. Many of the original investors and some owners currently are Caymanian and/or on a Caymanians land they contributed to develop as High Density Commercial/Residential. If your a Caymanian or a Status Holder, investor or owner there, wouldn’t you want to be able to exercise your full right to be able to use the land for what it’s legally legislated for, while keeping your property up to date, and by safety and standard of living? Protect the shoreline yes, I agree with that 100%. Move back at least 75 feet from the high tide line. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with what Aqua Beach and their Developers are proposing to do. It’s just an enhancement based on current legal legislation by the CIG and CPA. When it comes to traffic concerns, that’s why the bypass and E.T. Highway is for, and to separate the flow of local movement from the tourist, business, commercial and residential area or corridor of WBR or SMBR and why it’s now 25 mph and E.T. Highway is 40 mph. Caymanians and their business partners, investors and contributors with their status holder or foreign counterparts; have the right to do anything they see fit that is legally legislated and that adds value to our economy and jobs, which I doubt many actual Caymanians will apply to, but if the government is making a profit annually on developments such as this; then the Caymanians that don’t or won’t get jobs can be assured their NAU payments will be guaranteed depending on the Governments income from things such as this.
It is so sad to see the Cayman government ruin the beautiful Island of Grand Cayman. Our family has owned there since the 1980″s and our neighbors since the 1950″s. We have watched how the government has approved so many projects out of sink with the vibe of the island. It is becoming a cement jungle all for more money. If this project is approved I am sure it will be the start of many more to come along the 7 Mile Beach Road and soon the quaint beautiful island beach setting and feel will be gone. I am sure many people will choose to go elsewhere because the Caymans will no longer offer anything special.
Concur 100%!! Developers and the Caymanian government are killing the island charm which is what people used to go
there for.
Personally, we have already found other islands – have you tried TCI’s?