On Monday, workers covered the words, ‘Tear this wall down’ , that had been written on the structure over the weekend, with a fresh coat of white paint. The wall is under construction as part of the ongoing upgrades at the beach.

The project is being undertaken by Dart, which on Monday, in an emailed response to queries from the Cayman Compass, acknowledged the public’s reaction to the height of the perimetre wall.

However, Dart pointed out that ultimately it respects the Central Planning Authority’s directives on the wall.

“As part of the NRA Agreement, Dart is delivering the CI$3 million upgrades at Seven Mile Public Beach envisioned by government. The original designs submitted to the Central Planning Authority (CPA) by the Ministry of Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure (the applicant) called for a 2.3’ wall along the section of the public beach bordering West Bay Road,” the Dart statement said. “As a condition of approving the application, the CPA directed the applicant to build a wall at 5’ instead and further directed the applicant to build the wall inside the sidewalk.”

The construction of the new wall was highlighted in a recent Compass article and it has since drawn public outcry since it obstructs one of the few remaining views of the sea from the roadway.

The CPA, according to its published minutes on Dart’s application for permission, noted that “the proposed height [2.3’] defeats the purpose of the objective which was to prevent people from crossing into the public beach from the side of the road.”

The CPA was expected to issue a statement on Monday, but up to press time it had not been received.