The Little Cayman District Committee of the National Trust has said it has submitted “between 400 and 500 signatures” on its petition objecting to the Kingston Bight development applications for an over-water bungalow resort.
The District Committee, in a post on its official Facebook page, shared that signatures were collected on all three Cayman Islands and were submitted to the Planning Ministry last Friday in response to the coastal works permit application notice.
“We have done our level best to this point and thank all those concerned persons who signed the petition and made representations directly to Cabinet. We pray that Cabinet will make the right and proper decision and deny this application and preserve the South Hole Sound Marine Park Reserve for all the people of the Cayman Islands and not give a portion of it away for private use,” the committee said.
The application was submitted by Peppercorn Investments Ltd. for the construction of 19 ‘Maldives-style overwater bungalows stretching 450 feet into the South Hole Sound Marine Park Reserve in Little Cayman.
In a statement on the planned project, the committee said the plan would involve constructing bungalows in a protected Marine Park Zone, and called for Cabinet to reject the application.
The proposed resort includes 19 one-bedroom bungalows built along a 542-feet dock that would extend out over the water, as well as six two-storey three-bedroom cottages and 12 single-storey two-bedroom cottages on the beach.
The District Committee lauded the number of signatures gathered, saying, “this is an incredible number given the extremely short comment period, 21 days, allowed”.
It added that, dozens, if not more than 100, letters and emails were sent directly to the ministry commenting on and objecting to the approval of the coastal works permit application.
“We do not know for sure exactly how many and hope that Government discloses the figure. Again, a fantastic response,” it said.
The committee said it was able to work with almost half the landowners with standing to submit comments on the landside component of the proposed development.
“The rules as to who may comment on a Planning application are extremely restrictive effectively preventing official input from the wider community and by groups and organisations, including the National Trust,” it said.
Although the public comment period is officially closed, the District Committee said it will carry on with a further public awareness campaign “to encourage persons to lobby their MPs (MLAs), whether in Cabinet or not or in this Government or Opposition, to deny the permit for construction in the waters of the South Hole Sound Marine Park Reserve”.
The Cayman Compass has reached out to developer Peppercorn Investments, which is owned by Bill Maines, Matthew Wight and Naul Bodden, for comment, and is awaiting a response.
In a previous statement to the Compass, Wight said, “The project as proposed would see no disturbance to the natural coast line, reefs or any mangroves.”
“The site is in the lee of the typical storm directions and is reef protected. We conducted an extensive technical analysis on the project following our initial meetings with [the Department of Environment] last year. Our technical report was submitted earlier this year as a ‘self screening’ application to DoE prior to any formal submission to the DCB or application for Coastal Works License,” he added.
Peppercorn, he contended, would “be happy to work with the National Trust or any other relevant body on this project to ensure the environment would not be negatively affected”.
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