- Thread starter drstock
- Start date
Lifestyle development in Cabarete
Papers or no papers, construction is continuing on both sides of the street. Passed by there yesterday. I believe Canoa was in office when that was approved. Probably not worth the paper they're printed on, but wouldn't be surprised if he did issue permits and approve the project. They started adding the 4th floor over 6 months ago - the 5th floor about 3 months ago. And just now they suddenly want to complain?
Well, I can't believe they would be stupid enough to leave the caliche base unprotected from the waves.
Thanks for the info. There may be mandatory height restrictions for flying, but I think these are not always honored. Around 10 years ago, I did see from my bedroom window, a helicopter land on the Costambar beach. It was a short stop to pick up some kind of drink, pop or possibly beer, before taking off again towards POP.
Yes. ..Not sure but I believe lifestyle is an AI, that crowd you can feed baloney and call it steak, put it in a trough so they can feed all day and they are happy.
Here's the problem. First, a quick lesson in coastal geomorphology. Cabarete beach is not a beach with any degree of protection. There are no extended barrier reefs off shore or outer islands to disperse the wave energy generated by storms. The fetch (the area offshore where the wind energy blows over the water and increases the wave energy) is phenomenal in that area. It extends for hundreds of miles offshore.
Wave energy dissipates in the lower, middle and upper intertidal zone when it impacts the beach. The upper tidal zone extends to the high water mark and the high water mark shifts with each storm and season. Beaches are live environments. They change with the seasons. Some washout(secretion) and then wash back in (accretion) and that's normal.
When we interfere with these processes by building anthroprogenic structures (man made) the wave energy has no place to dissipate and natural replenishment process either moves to another area or ceases entirely. The newly infilled area may not stay in place or it may shift the problem to another resort area to the right or left of it.
As DV8 noted in an earlier post, the changes in climate are causing cold weather fronts with bigger storms in areas where they usually don't occur. I usually bar hop in that area at least once a week when I'm down for the winter and I see weekly changes in the Cabarete beach every time I'm there. Something I didn't notice the first five winters I stayed here. Let's see what happens over the coming winter.
The only sure way to prevent beach sediment loss is armour stone. It's costly, ugly and will restrict access to some of the beach. The other option is a sea wall just offshore built of armour stone. Very expensive and requires constant maintainence. The kite surfers would be up in arms if that was put in place. Sailors would love it because it would provide safe anchorage in Cabarete Bay in an area filled with bars and restaurants.
I saw a lot of long rebar there yesterday. It looks to me like they are getting ready to pour a deck very soon. Hard to understand how this got by Medio Ambiente. They are the ones that are really in charge of what can or can't be done on the parcel and they patrol the beach frequently. It's easy to assume low-level types at MA were paid the appropriate "tax", they frequently do approve small things that nobody will notice or complain about, but a big project like this within the 60m set back would require approval at the very top.
I've only been here for 17 years and the beach changes all the time. Especially in winter. Since 2000 and I suspect long before, it's been difficult at times to access the velero point from the beach without walking in the waves. Then in summer the water isn't as high at that end of the bay and is usually easily accessible. A few years ago the northern winter winds did push the water further than usual in that area and threatened some buildings. (The same happens at the other end of the bay at nanny estates at times, but no buildings threatened).
I think perhaps too many conclusions by you and others without being truly familiar with what happens at that end of the beach or even seeing/understanding what Lifestyles is actually doing on their land.
Wouldn't part of the reef need to be destroyed to allow access to the bay? Only occasionally see a catamaran there and I believe they have to time very carefully their entrance and exit over the reef.
My observations are observations based on years of experience working in coastal zones. I can't say for sure what will happen and to what degree. I did say in my post let's see what happens. The impacts may be immediate or may occur over years. Regarding the reef structures in Cabarete Bay, they are low lying reefs and do help dissipate some of the wave energy but not enough to cope with the energy generated during major storms. That's the reason they are still small in nature. Your right in saying some marine habitat destruction would occur if a seawall was constructed. The area would require some dredging prior to placement of rip rap or armour stone for a sea wall. Every man made alteration to a marine ecosystem comes with a cost.
Point of information:
The area in question near the now re-started Lifestyles resort construction had been dedicated for small sail boats and windsurfers (the original "discoverers" of a use a Cabarete bay for something other than fishing). The later to the party kite surfers were supposed to remain in the areas from Bozo Beach westward through Kite Beach. That was actually regulated when I was windsurfing.
It is rather chaotic and dangerous to mix windsurfers and kite surfers together. As the number of wind surfers drops, there is bound to be encroachment by kite surfers.
Now back to how and who Lifestyles had to pay off.
The area in question near the now re-started Lifestyles resort construction had been dedicated for small sail boats and windsurfers (the original "discoverers" of a use a Cabarete bay for something other than fishing). The later to the party kite surfers were supposed to remain in the areas from Bozo Beach westward through Kite Beach. That was actually regulated when I was windsurfing.
It is rather chaotic and dangerous to mix windsurfers and kite surfers together. As the number of wind surfers drops, there is bound to be encroachment by kite surfers.
Now back to how and who Lifestyles had to pay off.
Is it really a reef out there or is it an old volcanic rock pile with a little reef stuff?
Their occupancy levels will be fine as they mostly operate as a timeshare type business. They've been in steady expansion mode for years. They have a business model that is working very well for them.
Probably volcanic rock with reef organisms embedded in it because the DR was formed from volcanic activity. The earthquakes remind us of that every now and then.
Lifestyles will not have an occupancy problem. The beach at a Cofresi is not all that great and the beach at Cabarete is fantastic. Also the Robert Trent Jones 18 hole golf course is just a short drive up the road in RSJ. The beauty about Lifestyles Cabarete is you can easily escape, check out local bars and shops on the strip and mingle with the locals. Not so at Cofresi where they put the fear of God in you and tell you how dangerous it is outside the resort.