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velacabarete
Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 13
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 10:50 am Post subject: High-rises could affect Cabarete |
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The community of Cabarete is about to kill the goose that lays the golden egg if it continues to tolerate high-rise condos, says architect Omar Bros of the Dominican Sailing Federation. The sailing expert warns that the planned condos can create nightmarish wind tunnels and downstream turbulence that will affect the smooth wind patterns that have made the area the world Mecca for windsurf, kite boarding and Laser sailors that it is today.
Cabarete community groups highlight the fact that there are hundreds of islands in the Caribbean with beaches, but Cabarete's success is based on people coming for its winds and to enjoy the multicolor spectacle of dozens of sails in the ocean and air. The sea views and active sporting atmosphere would not be the same once the sailors go elsewhere, if conditions were changed by the high rises planned for the area.
The community warns of the possible consequences that more four-story buildings would have on Cabarete's ecosystem. Several have already been built, despite zoning rules in the north coast that limit construction to three floors. Other high-rise condos are planned for the beach area. Thermal winds in Cabarete are created by the temperature difference between land and sea. Bare land cools quickly at nighttime, while cement buildings conserve the heat well into the night. The less cement, the less heat and therefore more natural wind flow.
The boom in the construction of seafront condos over three floors high and real estate speculation are not compatible with the sustainable and long-term development of this community that is the pride and joy of Puerto Plata province due to its attractiveness to domestic and international tourism.
Cabarete's natural sailing conditions attract many windsurf, kiteboarding and Laser sailors.
The new proposed density for high rises is also a matter of concern because of the limited ability of the Cabarete lagoon to handle the waste that would be generated by the new occupants. There is also concern that the beach sands could be eroded due to disruption in the wind flow, which could cause Cabarete to lose its entire beach.
The third concern is that the increase in density would generate even more traffic on the only road that runs through Cabarete as traffic moves east from Puerto Plata or west from Samana.
A petition has been submitted to the Ministry of Environment to study the effect of the high rises on the ecology and to evaluate the consequences of continuing to allow these constructions, despite the ban that exists in the zoning law for the north coast. |
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velacabarete
Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 13
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Arrgh
Joined: 05 May 1998 Posts: 864 Location: Rio
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds like another great place to lounge on the beach and watch the kids ride jet skis and giant water tricycles. |
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shlongone
Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 14
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Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:31 pm Post subject: |
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Dominican is a mess anyway. Try Turks and Caicos. Bring your kite and fins! |
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Caribchakita
Joined: 05 Jun 2001 Posts: 312 Location: Bonaire
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 6:41 am Post subject: Another Aruba?? |
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Sorry to hear progress may put a damper on the sport. Approach ANYONE with logic with information on the revenue windsurfing and kiting brings to the DR. I would hire professionals to draft market studies and contrast what could happen if...
Put this letter in EVERY windsurf magazine in NA and Europe. Ask all of your clients to write letters. This is going to take a lot of work but don't stop. Contact any environmental group you can.
Someone started to build a hotel in the mangroves of Bonaire. A politician gave them the land but people here fought. The mangroves are protected from the Ramsah Agreement so building stopped and two years later the shells is gone and our precious mangrove is safe.
Schlong..what help is your comment honestly? Head shaking...
Ann Phelan
www.bonairecaribbean.com
www.antiguacaribbean.com |
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velacabarete
Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 13
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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Looks like the Government starts to listen to the windsurfer's .
They want some evidence from other destinations where construction of tall buildings along the shore killed the wind or slowed it down.
Aruba is one of them ! Any more locations you guy's know off ???? |
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geohaye
Joined: 03 Apr 2000 Posts: 1437
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 11:26 am Post subject: |
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What is the current status of this battle to maintain the 3-story building height restriction in Cabarete?
And, do we have an updated list of email address that we should send our comments to?
I sent a letter a while ago to this one email address:
r.aponte@sectur.gov.do
And this is what I wrote:
Mr. Radhames Martinez Aponte, Deputy Minister of Tourism,
I appeal to you to please maintain the 3-floor building height restriction in Cabarete. Thousands of visitors to Cabarete annually come for it's high-quality winds for windsurfing and kiteboarding, as well as it's small-town ambiance. Both of these excellent factors currently in Cabarete's favor would be seriously damaged by the proposed project involving very tall towers. The wind will not be able to pass over these buildings without seriously degrading the wind conditions in the windsurfing and kiteboarding areas. This would be a disaster for wind-related tourism in Cabarete. Obviously, there are better places for tall buildings in other parts of the Dominican Republic. But, Cabarete is the perfect location to not have them.
Please keep Cabarate a place that I will continue to want to come and visit.
Thank you for your time. |
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