I think you will agree the new boardwalk along the waterfront and the beautification filling has made a huge difference to the quality and appearance of the area.

The efforts of the father and son Johnson family must be applauded.

It gives a welcome quality look of tidiness and beauty especially as a first impression to the Cruise Ship passengers that alight at the Royal Watler terminal

What a pity people have already tried to wreck what has been done even before the stage 2 of the project is commenced.

Yesterday we showed a photograph taken by an irate Caymanian who sent us it with angry words showing an SUV illegally parked on the fill that had been placed there as if it had been done for the purpose of car parking and not beautification.

A local businessman has been trying to obtain permission in the same area to construct a ticket office, restroom facility, storage building, tour operator sales and mobile food truck staging area.

Although unsuccessful, thankfully, the first time around the application has been re-submitted with some modifications that seemingly the National Roads Authority (NRA) are not now objecting to.

Surprisingly so since the car parking spaces shown on the new submission have three exactly where the new pedestrian crossing is now located.

If that isn’t a disaster waiting to happen I don’t know what is.

Architect, Robert Johnson, accommodated the NRA and constructed the sidewalk higher than normal adding to the expense that was all paid for by various waterfront owners with the bulk coming from Chris Johnson. If the new submission is granted there will be no kerb making the sidewalk unsafe.

The buildings if erected will also detract from the view enjoyed not only by the visitors but residents alike.

This is one time where the proposer of the development should look closely behind the picture.

More visitors will come to Grand Cayman when they see a beautiful island. First impressions count more than anything else. They will come back and spend money. If their impression is poor, they will not come back. You only have to read the blogs on the Travel sites and people do read them. In fact they even ask questions.

I strongly advise the businessman to rethink and find somewhere else to place his proposed development and not wreck what we now have. He will gain in the long term and in economics long term gains are much better than short term.