Owners of Aqua Bay on West Bay Road have been given the green light for a $60 million, 10-storey development on the 35-year-old site, almost two years after the project was first announced.
The proposal by Aqua Bay’s owners to redevelop the current three-storey building into a ten-storey, glass-and-steel tower with a height of almost 130 feet had attracted strong objections from residents who said that the development would cause “a permanent and irreversible change of character of the last little stretch of tranquility on Seven Mile Beach”.
Neighbours also warned of the likelihood of increased noise, pollution, traffic bottlenecks and adverse effects on sea turtle nesting sites.
In spite of 36 objectors to the development, permission has been granted by members of the Central Planning Authority, who said they had taken all objections into consideration.
The CPA said it believed Aqua Bay’s plans to be consistent with planning regulations. In the minutes of its 9 Oct. meeting, the CPA noted, “By adding to the existing inventory of apartments along Seven Mile Beach, the application provides for the orderly development, expansion and upgrading of facilities required to maintain a successful tourism industry.”
It added, “The proposed development does not represent over-development of the site as it complies with all minimum required setbacks, the maximum allowable site coverage and the maximum allowable building height.”
The authority also said it was satisfied that the layout and scale of the development was compatible with the ecological, aesthetic and other physical characteristics of the site and that “a high quality of design and landscaping … will be used”.
Planning permission was granted subject to 23 separate conditions, including submitting a plan for turtle-friendly lighting and construction fencing, which will minimise the impact on sea turtles, and making sure that no waste or debris impacts the adjacent Marine Protected Area.
No turtle nests are allowed to be affected by the development and no construction work, vehicle access, equipment storage or other operations are allowed to take place on the beach during turtle nesting season, which runs between 1 May – 30 Nov., without the express consent of the Department of Environment.
Nearby residents are unlikely to welcome the news. The application was controversial from the start, with objectors saying the character of the area will be totally changed by the application, with a 10-storey building instead of a three-storey one likely to block out light to homes and restrict views of the ocean and sunsets over Seven Mile Beach.
Planning permission had been refused for the project in March this year due to concerns over the proposed number of storeys, leading to the developers redrawing their plans to meet requirements.
A representative of both The Palms and Silvers Sands stratas, which are situated on either side of the Aqua Bay strata, told The Compass last month when the plans were resubmitted, “Visitors and West Bay residents alike have loved the area and beach for decades for its beauty and relative calm. Approval of such an out of character building would be the first step of transformation of this section of Caymanian charm into just another Miami Beach.”
Lawyers for the objectors were approached for comment.
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A terrible decision that will create more congestion along West Bay Rd for years.
Character and peace of SMB again loses out to MONEY MONEY MONEY….
Thank you father God for seeing this application thru. Thanks to the CPA for respecting the rights of the owners to redevelop their property and not allow this common cause of extreme selfishness to violate the rights of others to do with their property as they please in accordance with the law.
Looking forward to the continued modernization of the SMB. Now if the gov would find the guts to put in place a managed retreat at the other end.
Absolutely 100% the right decision. I like the past too but “Missing the romance and nostalgia of the past” is not a fair objection to progress. If you don’t like progress move to CostaRica and deal with the pooping spider-monkeys and squatters who steal your land. It’s selfish to try to pause time and steal the future just because you like it that way.
Sad, sad, sad. I had hoped that the north end of SMB could look different than the already destroyed “Miami Beach” look at the southern end. Foreign wealth is driving the development and of course they care about their investment. Government doesn’t have the strength to put policies in place to protect or preserve much. “Caymanian” is almost extinct and Cayman will soon be unrecognizable and overrun with thousands and thousands of people. I could cry.
This is proof positive that Grand Cayman’s administration has sold out to the development powers. To say that this is “compatible with the ecological, aesthetic and other physical characteristics of the site” would be hilarious if it weren’t so sad.
A previous comment called out “selfishness”. But it’s the greedy owners of Aqua Bay who are clearly forgetting the environment and situation that caused them to but there in the first place. They are ruining a beautiful area, and turning it into the Cancun-type area that we see around further south.
John. Cayman will evolve and become some better version of itself. I like Miami. I don’t care for Cancun, due to all the drug violence, but a lot of other people do. I love Cayman and think this place is getting better – not worse. A lot of other people feel the same way. That’s why they keep coming. There will still be a clean environment and natural beauty here in 50 years, but there will also be a lot more tall buildings. I think that’s a good thing. For those who don’t like mini Miami, there is East end, North Side, Cayman Kai, little Cayman.. or another Country.
This is just disgusting. They’ve destroyed the rest of SMB, and now they’re going to destroy the last part that has no ugly high rise buildings, a loss of sand and developments falling into the sea. Just shameful. It’s all about the almighty dollar and no one seems to give a crap about the environment.