A CI$40-million commercial and residential complex on Walkers Road in George Town has been approved by the Central Planning Authority (CPA) for the second time.
The International Mall complex will feature three two-storey commercial buildings and seven two- and three-storey townhouse buildings, comprising 44 residential units, on the corner of Walkers Road and Ellery Merren Drive.
The development had been granted planning permission in September 2024 but was later overturned by the Planning Appeals Tribunal due to legal issues regarding site coverage, parking, setbacks and public notification.
During a 6 May meeting to revisit the application, the CPA determined that the revised plans satisfied development regulations and that “the objectors did not raise sufficient grounds for refusing permission”.
There would be a total 30,102.3 square feet of retail space and 79,189.7 sq ft of residential space on land sitting in Neighbourhood Commercial and Low Density Residential zones.
International Mall Ltd told the CPA that the commercial space would be suitable for small retail services, professional offices, restaurants and cafés, and convenience-type commercial services.
The latest review process heard 11 objections, centring largely on the scale of the development, its suitability for the surrounding area and the traffic impact.
The number of bedrooms, set at a maximum of 71 for the site under development regulations, generated debate between the CPA and objectors, who argued that the inclusion of family rooms and offices increased the actual number to 134.
The CPA accepted the developer’s count of 70 bedrooms, determining: “There is nothing in the regulations that states that a townhouse can’t contain a family room and/or office.”
The authority also found the development to be consistent with the established building character of the area, due to the existence of other townhouse and apartment complexes in the neighbourhood.
It also determined that infrastructure for roads, water and electricity was sufficient to support the development.
The National Conservation Council encouraged the developer to retain the existing primary habitat at the site.
“While some of the site has been cleared already, under the now-overturned planning permission, there is still some native vegetation present that can be accommodated within the development,” the council said.
“The development should be redesigned to retain as much native vegetation, especially culturally important species like silver thatch.”
This could be achieved, it suggested, by retaining habitat in parcel boundaries and incorporating it into amenities like green space.
The CPA moved forward with the planning approval, granted a number of conditions are met regarding site boundaries, the pool filtration system, wastewater treatment and stormwater management.
