Red Spot Bay, George Town, Grand Cayman – Image: Celebrity Cruises

From Chris Johnson

27 June, 2024

On July 3rd, an application will be made to the CPA to beautify Red Spot Beach on Seafarers Way as part
of the George Town beautification drive promulgated by the Government. The planning application
includes a proposed ramp along with planters and seating with the overall intent to turn this pretty,
popular site into a park for both locals and tourists to enjoy. The busy central George Town site has
historical and cultural significance which is recognized in the application.

The property has been owned by the current owner since 1973 and town has seen a lot of changes over
the decades. With population growth, automobile traffic congestion, port development and cruise
tourism the site has been affected directly going from a GT beach site where locals used to learn to
swim and appreciate the beach, to a busy and highly visible waterfront site. In 2014, a sidewalk was
built by the landowner for pedestrian safety and to make the site more accessible. The sidewalk could
be considered as phase 1 of a transition to a park. Red Spot is the only publicly used beach between
town and 7-mile and since installing the sidewalk, it is noticeably busier with cruise ship passengers who
use the site for swimming and sunbathing. Although this planning application is small in scope, it
addresses several issues through its design.

Provide a park-like site which locals can enjoy. Benches, steps and planters are proposed to
accommodate and encourage locals to enjoy the beautiful site. Given its central GT location, it provides
spaces where people can sit and enjoy the view, where surrounding workers can take their lunch break
and in general a public space where anybody can enjoy what is effectively the only beach in town.

Provide a better experience for cruise ship visitors. This application intends to provide a park-like site
where visitors can swim, use the beach and enjoy the waterfront. Benches are proposed for tourists to
rest their towels and possessions while swimming or to sit, congregate and enjoy the view.

Provide wheelchair and full access to the beach. Given the central GT location and natural beauty of
this waterfront site, it attracts large numbers of people to it. Access to beach has fast become an
ongoing problem on island for residents and visitors. This application proposes full access to the beach,
including a ramp for wheelchair users and pedestrian convenience.

Provide a better place to swim. Due to Hog Sty Bay no longer being available to swimmers, Red Spot
Beach is one of the last, if not only place to swim in town. In years gone by it was a popular beach for
locals to learn to swim. It was also used to store boats on davits. It has become a popular spot for cruise
ship passengers to visit as there are no alternative beaches in town.

Ownership By the People. Once planning permission is obtained and the project is completed the
owner intends to place the property into a trust in perpetuity for the people of the Cayman Islands. The
trust will not permit the location to be used for commercial purposes or sold.

The beloved site, enjoyed by everyone, is highly visible to everybody who passes through town given its
location next to the cruise terminal, natural beauty and the fact that it is one of the few waterfront
properties not deliberately developed in George Town. Since covid, the site is increasingly used by
visitors who like the beach for sunbathing and swimming. Given the high-use of Red Spot Beach, the
landowner wishes to rectify and beautify the site as well as propose these small but effective siteworks
that will help the location to be more frequently used and appreciated by all.

Chris Johnson and Robert Johnson