Seaport proposal going to Gov’t

The man who proposes to build a 1,500-acre seaport west of East End said Thursday he intended to put his proposal to Government “in the next day or two” for Government to agree or not, and his proposed timeline showed work on the site beginning on 1 July. 

Joseph Imparato fielded questions about the project at a public meeting that attracted more than 200 people from all over Grand Cayman to the William Allen McLaughlin Civic Centre in East End. 

At the meeting, consultant Richard Meeker made a presentation that included a proposed time line with site clearing to start on 1 July and jetty construction and inlet channel dredging to start on 4 July.  

The site is on privately owned land in the High Rock area, east of Half Moon Bay. 

After being introduced by Pilar Bush of AtWater Consulting, Mr. Imparato rejected a public perception that his intent was really nothing more than to dig a quarry, make millions of dollars and leave. Noting he has lived here for 30 years and completed many other projects, he said the incentive for him was not to create a quarry, but to create an infrastructure that will diversify the economy and create jobs. 

Questions from the audience covered costs of the project and who will pay; potential impact on the East End water lens and suggested mitigation; destruction of dive sites, consequences of blasting and loss of the scenic coastal drive.  

The inland port basin would require a 600-foot wide channel, which would necessitate re-routing Sea View Road. Mr. Imparato said his company would pay for the “ring road” around the port facility, to be built in conjunction with a berm. The proposed inland east-west arterial behind the seaport would be a government project, he said. 

Environmental activist Captain Bryan Ebanks posed questions about Mr. Imparato’s continued involvement after the basin is dug. 

“Are you going to be building a seaport?” Mr. Ebanks asked. 

“If Government approves it, yes,” Mr. Imparato said. 

“You’re going to finance it yourself?” 

“Yes.” 

“You’re going to put your money in the hole and develop it?” 

“Yes,” Mr. Imparato said. 

Later, in response to questions from North Side MLA Ezzard Miller, he said financing of segments of the seaport such as a cruise ship home port, mega- yacht marina and transhipment facility, would be a joint venture. He did not include a cargo port, explaining that it would be built on government land contiguous to the seaport project. Government could choose to do a joint venture, he noted. 

Several people expressed concern about the impact on the East End water lens, which Mr. Meeker said could recede up to 12 feet per year at the edge nearest the proposed seaport basin. He cited ways to offset that impact, such as slurry walls or injection wells and hydraulic control.  

“We believe most of the adverse impacts can be mitigated significantly by advance planning,” he said.  

One woman asked why the mitigation measures were not put in now to prevent impacting the water lens. “Because it may not happen,” Mr. Meeker replied.  

Other issues raised included damage to dive sites and the location of the Maya Cable, which is the telecommunications link laid by Cable and Wireless. 

Mr. Imparato said he knew where the cable is: “It’s not where we’re putting the channel.” Jason McLean, who said he had helped install the cable, pointed to the need for a buffer area and asserted that someone would have to pay to move the cable.  

Two dive sites would be destroyed in the dredging of a channel from the sea, it was agreed. Mr. Meeker suggested that moorings in the area could be moved and coral heads could be transplanted. Dive operator Steve Broadbelt disagreed. 

Attorney Samuel Jackson said he was asking questions on behalf of quarry operators. His concerns were “the nature of the arrangement between the developer and Government,” concessions and any exemptions from planning regulations. 

Mr. Imparato said he was asking for legislation. “I’m not getting anything that is not in the legislation.” He said it did not exempt the project from planning regulations, but did modify regulations in certain ways unique to a seaport. 

As far as quarry operators’ business concerns, he said he had already offered them a percentage of any contract with government plus fill at cost.  

The excavated material from the basin is estimated to be 14 million cubic yards. The dredged material from the channel is estimated to be 660,000 cubic yards. 

Billy Adam said he had never seen a dredging operation that did not produce turbidity. Mr. Imparato said if the job is done meticulously, it’s not a problem.  

At 11.05pm, when more than half the audience was still present, East End MLA Arden McLean suggested a show of hands. He asked how many supported the project and from the front of the room, a reporter could not see any hands. He asked how many opposed the project and a sea of hands went up.