Residents in Prospect are complaining about security gates going up at the entrance to the Patrick’s Island community, which would prevent them from accessing the East-West Arterial using Poindexter Road.
“The whole of the Prospect community is stunned,” said Pam DaCosta, who has been living in the Prospect area for over 50 years.
“Since the East-West Arterial was built, Prospect residents have grown accustomed to using the Poindexter route, especially when they want to head up east towards Savannah and the Foster’s supermarket and AL T’s at the Countryside Shopping Centre,” she added.
The Homeowners Association of Patrick’s Island told the Cayman Compass that residents bought property in the Patrick’s Islands community with the understanding that it would eventually be a gated community.
“The gatehouse was built over 25 years ago,” explained one of the homeowners, who did not wish to be identified. “There was always a plan to have gates there; it is not a public access. That part of Poindexter is a private road that was paid for and continues to be maintained by the association.
“Unfortunately, with the growing issue of crime that is impacting everyone in the Cayman Islands, the homeowners association decided it was time to move ahead with the plan to install the gates.”
DaCosta said that with the barriers set to be installed in November, residents in Prospect don’t have time to organise a petition to try to prevent the closure. She wondered “why the Patrick’s Island Homeowners Association can’t just move the barriers further back down their roads, so the access can be maintained”.
“We looked at all the options,” explained the homeowner speaking on behalf of the association, “including moving the gate further into the Patrick’s Island area, but that would have disenfranchised at least five property owners in the community.
“We recognise it will take time for people to adjust to the change, but it will only add about a minute to their journey, and there are still four other roads that the residents of Prospect can use to access the East-West Arterial.”
Another homeowner in Patrick’s Island, who also wished to remain anonymous, said that in the mornings, motorists coming from the eastern districts are ignoring the ‘local access only’ signs by the roundabout, coming down Poindexter and then driving out through the roads in the Prospect area in an effort to try to get around the traffic congestion in the morning commute.
“Residents in our area have been suffering with the amount of traffic coming through this area for years,” the homeowner said, adding, “It is hard to get out of the Patrick’s Island community and onto the road in the morning because the traffic gets so backed up.”
The barriers that will go up in Patrick’s Island in November will also make it harder for residents who don’t live in the area to access the dyke roads.
It is not uncommon for people to go into these dyke roads, created by the Mosquito Research and Control Unit, to go jogging, walk their dogs, birdwatch or practice catch-and-release sport fishing for the small tarpon that can be found in the waterways.
Cayman Compass was unable to reach Red Bay MP Alden McLaughlin for comment.
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