Editorial
Should It AllBe About Money?
Over the past three decades, the CaymanIslands Government has expended several millions of dollars ona plethora of professional studies and reports - from tourismto traffic, education to economics - conducted by high pricedprofessional firms, mainly from overseas.
Among these reports have been only a limitednumber of impact studies paid for by developers with vested interestas to how any particular major project will affect the socialand economic infrastructure of these islands.
These days, among current public debateare the pros and cons concerning the proposed private developmentof a cargo dock facility at the gateway Half Moon Bay entranceinto the district of East End.
Although there have been announcements fromrepresentatives of the intended investors, there has been, atleast up to now no comment as to how the thunderous traffic resultingfrom the movement of cargo on its 20-mile journey from the Easternshore to the Capital of George Town will affect the lifestyleand income of the private and business sectors of the populationon the whole.
A recent drive out East in an effort toassess how the impact of this proposed development will affectdistricts like the former Capital of Bodden Town and areasalong the way like Lower Valley, Breakers, Savannah is notcomforting. As these areas now stand there is a critical needto preserve at least some of the traditional history, flora andfauna that have made Grand Cayman the eminent, unspoiled destinationit has become in spite of some folks' desire to sacrificethese in favour of making money.
The question is: For whom, and at what cost?
While the race is on to try and reinvigoratedevelopment, there should be some temperance exercised. It isworth mentioning here, again, that it is not possible to nursethe Cayman Islands' economy back to health by feeding it differentbatches of investment medication pills all at once, at an acceleratedrate, instead of a sure, measured preference of prudence.
What would seem far more sensible for theEastern Districts' economic and social health is an advancementto build a High School to accommodate the residents from thosedistricts. Such a decision would remove the pressure borne onthe entire community because of the focused private vehiculartraffic moving south every morning to George Town, and then reversedin the evening. Additionally, many of the children would not berobbed of their sleep, study and recreational time by having toget up so early to beat the morning and evening traffic.
On the other hand, one old salt with intimateknowledge of the seas surrounding Grand Cayman and in particularthe North Sound, suggests there will not be any permanent or futuredamage to this pristine body of water if a waterway was createdto accommodate the movement of cargo vessels docking in GeorgeTown provided that such development is concentrated to theWestern side of the Sound as the Eastern side is where most ofthe fragile mangrove and sea life flora is concentrated.
If such a development were seriously consideredthis would bring the movement of cargo of all quantity and varietycloser to the commercial activity of the capital and resort stretchof the West Bay Road peninsula. And although there is the preferenceby many not to take into consideration the removal of the fueltanks farm from the pristine, up-scale residential area of SouthSound, a commercial cargo facility at the end of the North SoundRoad to include the relocation of these tanks makes far more sense.
In respect to the fear of destruction andto the Sound, if this preference was considered one only has torevisit the Vista del Mar and Yacht Club (Japanese) developmentalong the Western shores of the Sound and witness the proliferationof sea and plant life. In fact, this is one example that can becited as a success story that does not require further study.
Enough said.