New Dive Resort, But No New Dive Site, Coming For West Bay

[Drew Sailbum]

Dive company Living the Dream has won approval to develop a boutique dive resort right next door to DiveTech's Lighthouse Point on North West Point Road in West Bay. And their neighbor's aren't happy about it.

Living the Dream's plans call for a four cottage development with onsite dive shop providing access to the reef for shore diving. But one key part of their plan raised objections - locating air compressors on site.

The Central Planning Authority received many objections to the proposed development, the majority of which were filed by the principals of Lighthouse Point. But some neighboring condo owners did file objections due to noise. Of note, DiveTech fills its tanks off site for use at their Lighthouse Point operations.

Lawyers for Living the Dream successfully argued that the bulk of the objections filed were for specious or commercial reasons and won approval for the proposed development.

No timeline for the new development was reported.

 

[Doctorfish]

I don't quite understand. Thread title is "no new dive site", but in the text, you mention there will be reef access. Does't that make it a new shore dive site?

I don't think I would want to stay at a place where there is big compressor system on site either. I still recall the Parrot's Landing disaster from years back.

The Easterbrooks have been pretty good at pushing their weight around in the past. Kinda glad they lost this one. Don't blame them for trying, however, as this new op will be direct competition to them. Drew, aren't you an instructor at Divetech?

By the way, Olin Miller runs an outstanding shore dive op just a bit north at Turtle Reef/Cracked Conch. I personally will continue to give him my business.

 

[scoobydrew]

Doctorfish - I am Drew from Divetech, the OP coincidentaly is also called Drew and lives on Grand Cayman, he does not work for Divetech. This thread has not been created by anyone who has any connection to Divetech

 

[Doctorfish]

Got it. More than one Drew on Cayman. Sorry for my wrong assumption.

 

[scoobydrew]

No problem!

 

[The Chairman]

I guess he Drew the wrong conclusion. Sry. Couldn't help myself.

As for noise, that's not an insurmountable problem. There are a ton of ways for conscientious contractors to suppress noise pollution. It will cost a bit more to construct, but it's a one time charge and should be no problem for a "boutique" to justify.

 

[scoobydrew]

I guess he Drew the wrong conclusion. Sry. Couldn't help myself.
.

That's funny

 

[Drew Sailbum]

The newly proposed Living the Dream operation is to be located immediately next door to DiveTech's Lighthouse Point. They access the same section of reef, thus no new dive site opened up by this proposed resort.

This proximity was actually part of the rationale of at least four of the objections filed against the proposal. One objection argued that another dive resort was not needed in that area due to the fact that there is already reef access from Lighthouse Point. Another objection was that this arrangement would result in too many divers on the same section of reef. The operators of Lighthouse Point argued that the proximity of the LTD operation would be a diver safety issue. And finally Lighthouse Point argued that accessing the reef from LTD would detract from the charitable endeavors from DiveTech's one dollar per shore dive donation policy at that location.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

I don't quite understand. Thread title is "no new dive site", but in the text, you mention there will be reef access. Does't that make it a new shore dive site?

I don't think I would want to stay at a place where there is big compressor system on site either. I still recall the Parrot's Landing disaster from years back....

Several well regarded operators in Cayman, both past and present, have/had on site compressors. Ocean Frontiers has compressors at its Compass Point resort. Tortuga Divers at Morritts has them. Dive operators at the old SeaView Hotel had on site compressors. And so on.

 

[billinwilliamston]

One would think that noise mitigation and would be part of the design since their guests would be just as bothered by compressor noise as those who live at Lighthouse.