The Central Planning Authority has given approval to Dart’s development arm to temporarily add 276 carpark spaces to the Camana Bay complex.
It is part of wider plans to build Grand Cayman’s second 10-storey office block next to 60 Nexus Way, which officially opened earlier this year.
In its proposal, Cayman Shores Development said, if approved, construction operations for the proposed tower will be immediately to the west of its building footprint.
This will temporarily displace 167 parking spaces and permanently remove 14 from the existing parking.
The developers requested to relocate the displaced parking while construction is under way.
In the minutes of its meeting on 11 Oct, the Central Planning Authority said it had considered all the information it was given and determined that the application complied with all regulations.
In its analysis of the proposal before the meeting, the Department of Planning said there is no provision for accessible spaces, despite regulations saying there must be at least seven.
“To address this issue, a condition of approval could be included requiring a revised site plan showing at least seven accessible spaces,” the department said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Environment said the site for the carpark is located next to a canal and near to the marine environment.
However, the surrounding ring road and mangrove fringe will help to mitigate the impact of hydrocarbon runoff, it said.
As a result of these submissions, the authority, on granting planning permission, said certain conditions must be followed before building work can take place.
These include submission of a new site plan with a minimum of seven parking spaces, and the submission of a storm water management plan.
Architect plans for the 10-storey building were available to view online in October, but more detailed plans have not yet been published in a Central Planning Authority meeting agenda.
New ‘urban city’ meeting
The debate over a proposed ‘urban city’ in South Sound continues with the possibility of an extraordinary meeting being raised at the 11 Oct. meeting of the Central Planning Authority.
The Planning Department asked if the authority would support a 15 Nov. meeting to hear its application and consider other items.
The authority advised that members would need to check their calendars and make their availability known to Planning.
Earlier this year, Cayman Enterprise City presented a proposal to modify existing plans for an office and housing campus on a 70-acre site, which it dubbed an “urban city”.
The developer requested planning approval to remove the lakes and reclaimed wetland park from its original ‘masterplan’ to make way for a school and housing.
However, the plan has met with heavy opposition from the Department of Environment and nearby residents who have been vocal in their objections to the proposed modifications.
They suggest the changes will increase the amount of hard surfaced ground and decrease the number of permeable areas, worsening the risk of flooding during wet season.
During the 13 Sept. meeting of the authority, the developer said they were inclined to withdraw the modification and revert to the original approval for the sake of time.
The Central Planning Authority adjourned the application to allow for additional review by all parties.
Editor’s Note: The Cayman Compass is a subsidiary of Dart Media and Entertainment.
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