Dart has applied for planning permission to build a professional grade football pitch, complete with changing rooms and a 710-square-foot pavilion, off the Esterley Tibbetts Highway.
Trading as Cayman Shores Development Ltd, Dart has applied for permission to construct what it is calling the Harquail Sports Facility, to be located next to the National Gallery.
In its planning proposal, Dart explained that the football pitch and training grounds aim to support the growing demand for the local football leagues.
Shortage of sporting spaces
The Camana Bay Sports Complex, it said, has one professional grade synthetic grass sports field which is heavily used throughout the year.
In its submission, it noted that the field is used solely by Cayman International School on school days and “extensively by the wider community… on non-school days (including weekends and public holidays). In addition to the continued growth of CIS, non-profit sports clubs such as Sunset Football Club (men’s, women’s and youth) call the field “home” on evenings and weekends with multiple practices at the various age groups.”
It explained that the field operates at full capacity with virtually no availability on weeknights from 5:30pm until closing, “where requests for reservations are continuously turned down due to the high demand”.
The proposal pointed out that by being located immediately south of the National Gallery and Harquail Theatre, both zoned low density residential, the site is suitable for additional social and recreational amenities.
“The sports facility will be an extension of CIS’s sport programmes, being connected by a pathway under Esterley Tibbetts Highway. The practice and training grounds will be open for public use for informal recreation and sports practices,” it added.
The site, which comprises green space, in the George Town North constituency, was first earmarked for new rugby club facilities in association with the Cayman Rugby Football Union.
However, in 2020 Dart withdrew its offer to the football union after both parties were unable to achieve a mutually agreeable lease agreement following more than three years of formal negotiations.
Dart, in a 2020 statement on the breakdown of negotiations, had said that there were no other active plans for the site, but that has now changed.
Residents informed of flooding plan
Ben Meade, Dart senior manager, communications, commenting on the planned project, said prior to submitting the application a meeting was held with property owners from nearby residential areas “to provide insight to our plans including how we propose to mitigate flooding they have experienced, with the storm water management plan for the development”.
“This is something being proposed to be done by Dart as a sustainable investor and considering what’s best for our property as well as surrounding properties. We also used the opportunity to explain that the green space will be available for walking… We await the planning process to be completed,” he said.
Based on the drawings submitted, Dart intends to utilise 18.19 acres for the facility, which will include training grounds and 78 parking spaces.
The facility will be enclosed with a four-foot chain-link fence.
The area will also require an extension of the existing road network and possible construction of a roundabout for ease of traffic flow.
Dart, in its proposal, said as the Cayman Islands population continues to grow, so does the need for additional safe and high-quality sports facilities.
“To ease this demand, we are offering to install an additional FIFA-rated sports field suitable for higher-level competition for local teams as well as additional surrounding turfed areas for fitness training. This will allow for greater capacity as practices and games can happen concurrently between the existing sports field and the proposed new one,” it said.
The project is subject to approval by the Central Planning Authority which is not anticipated to occur before May.
The objection period for this application is ongoing.
Owners, who for the time being reside within a radius of 1,000 feet of the boundaries of the land in the application, or who own land (including a strata lot) within a radius of 1,000 feet of the boundaries but reside elsewhere in the Islands, may object to the application in writing to the director of planning or via email to [email protected].
Editor’s Note: The Cayman Compass is a subsidiary of Dart Media and Entertainment.
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