Most of the objections to the project were either withdrawn or had fallen away when the application went before the CPA Wednesday, leaving those argued by the strata at Watercolours, the 10-storey tower next door, which held no water for the CPA.

While objectors had originally complained that the redevelopment plan was way too big for the footprint, it was established during the hearing that the site coverage fell well within the law. With no requests for any variances to the law and after the developer, Bronte, agreed to follow the Department of Environment’s recommendations, there were no legal impediments to the application.

Concerns in the wider community that the law allowing 10-storey buildings on Grand Cayman’s world famous beach is going to change it forever are unlikely to stop the runaway development that people are expecting along the stretch of beach, as wealthy owners seek to maximize their investments at many more condo complexes.

Bronte has argued that the three tower blocks will be a very attractive development, with a “playful” terraced designed that will make the building much less imposing that straight towers. The designers confirmed that while the complex does include 13 swimming pools, twelve of them are small private plunge pools, with just one main pool.

The developers used the objectors’ own building as a way to promote and contrast what they say is their far more aesthetically pleasing design.

“In contrast to the WaterColours property, the staggered design of the Lacovia project reduces the overall visual massing and the space between buildings allows for lush landscaping and amenities areas, as opposed to one large continuous structure,” Bronte stated in its planning application. “The three-building design also allows for greater visual transparency from West Bay Road through to the beach.”

The development has the backing of the tourism department, and Bronte believes that the redevelopment will enhance the tourism product, as it offers additional short-term rentals for tourist accommodation.

Summing up their application, the developers said it complied with the law and regulations, and no variance requests or legitimate planning objections had been raised by the remaining objectors.

“The project density is lower than permitted by the Regulations whilst the massing and scale of the project is consistent with the immediate adjacent property to the north,” Bronte stated. “The project provides much needed modern apartment inventory for both the local market and tourism market.”

Many of the owners of the existing condos at Lacovia were at the CPA meeting. They all support the project, which will see some of the oldest condos on the beach, built in the early 1980’s, demolished and replaced with the modern apartments. The strata had voted in January to redevelop and each of the more than 50 owners will get one of the new 96 units, a preferred option over trying to fund a costly refurbishment of the current buildings.

The former planning minister, Kurt Tibbetts, was also at the meeting because after his retirement from politics he moved into a role as a planning consultant.