The Central Planning Authority has said it does not support a proposal from the owners of The Watermark to rezone 16-acres of land in West Bay to allow for new high-rise buildings.
The developers requested an amendment to Development Plan 1997 to change four parcels near Seven Mile Public Beach from ‘neighbourhood commercial’ to ‘hotel/tourism’.
In a letter to the authority, they said the amendment would allow for an increase from the currently allowed three storeys to a “greater density” of commercial and residential units.
As a result, it would create “a more moderately priced product that can be offered to a wider cross section of the population in this premium area”, the applicants wrote.
But despite having a similar request for the rezoning of land granted in 2022, the authority did not endorse the latest plan.
Members said they will not be asking the Department of Planning to forward the proposal for public notices as detailed in the Development and Planning Act (2021 Revision).
The planning chiefs told the planning department to include the matter in the upcoming national development plan review process.
Building up
In August 2018, planning permission was granted for the construction of The Watermark – a $177 million, 10-storey luxury apartment building with 54 units on Seven Mile Beach.
A pedestrian bridge over West Bay Road links the block, which is nearing completion six years later, to a three-story building with a restaurant, spa and guest suites.
In 2020, the developers applied to the Central Planning Authority for the legal rezoning of three parcels next to the construction site which would allow builds up to 10 storeys.
The required law change went to public consultation and no objections were received, so the authority in 2021 sent the proposal to the Planning Ministry.
An amendment to the Development Plan 1997 was passed in Parliament on 10 Oct. 2022.
The landowners made a similar request again this year – this time for a 16-acre portion of four land parcels, which total 19 acres.
The low-lying, undeveloped land is near the roundabout joining West Bay Road to Esterley Tibbetts Highway, and less than 600 feet from the coastline.
Focus on tourists
In the Department of Planning’s analysis, it explained that if granted, the change in zoning would represent an increase of 2.07% to the 783.1 acres of ‘hotel/tourism’ in West Bay.
Meanwhile, it would represent a loss of 11.4% of the existing ‘neighbourhood commercial’ zones, which currently amounts to only 141.9 acres.
It said the shift in zoning would move use away from the needs of local residents and towards accommodating tourists.
Rezoning could also require huge changes in infrastructure and utilities, as well as have implications for traffic and transportation, the department said.
It also expressed concerns about a change to the overall character and aesthetics of the community, and the potential impact of increasing building heights to 10 storeys.
The applicants, in their proposal, said developing the parcels with the current limitations is not economically feasible given the cost of land, essential infrastructure and construction.
“For Caymanians to achieve greater participation in the acquisition of property in this area, product must be at a lower price point than currently exists,” they added.
“The only way to achieve that is to create additional density through a zoning designation that already exists.
“The ‘hotel/tourism’ zone is the appropriate zone as adjacent parcels currently have this designation.”
During its 6 Dec. 2023 meeting, the authority reviewed the proposal and determined that it did not support it, according to minutes published on 4 Jan. 2024.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was amended at 11am on 19 Jan. to clarify the Central Planning Authority’s role in zoning changes.
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Changing the zoning from Neighborhood/Commercial to Hotel/Tourism would NOT increase the availability of homes for Caymanians. Unless those Caymanians are tourists!
But it WOULD make sense to allow higher RESIDENTIAL buildings that CANNOT be used as hotels or for tourists.
This is done in Camana Bay, for example.
Right, that makes perfect sense to discourage building hotels further away from the beach and keep the land to put up another pointless mall ? What is wrong with these people ?