Extensive flooding on Owen Roberts Drive has been a problem for at least five years, according to one local business.  Photo: Steven Knipp

The people at Advance Automotive on Owens Robert Drive really hate when it rains. Because every time it happens they virtually need to close their business due to two large sink holes located directly in front of their Chevrolet dealership.

Nicole Markman-Sterling, office administrator at Advance, told Cayman Net News:

“We’ve been here for five years and have repeatedly called and wrote the government, asking if they could please do something to fix the road here. And now there is a new building going up next to us, and so there’s even more water running from that site. We were told that someone would come down here to look at the problem, but we’ve never seen anyone.

“It only rained for a short time today – but look how deep the water is. Hurricane season is coming and then it will be much worse. Considering that this road is the very first and very last thing that many tourists see, it’s really a kind of disgrace.”

Dr John Epp, the Complaints Commissioner, told Cayman Net News that “in a situation where a resident of the Cayman Islands is not satisfied by the (in)action of a government entity, the resident should make a formal complaint to the entity involved. If the complaint is not addressed within a reasonable period of time to the resident’s satisfaction, then the resident may ask the Office of the Complaints Commissioner to assist. Once we have the written complaint from the resident we will investigate.”

He added that “since we have not been asked to investigate and have not heard both sides of the story I cannot comment on (this) potential case.”

The Commission opened in 2004, and according to its website it is vested by government to “investigate written complaints to ascertain whether injustice has been caused by improper, unreasonable or inadequate government administrative conduct”. It is an independent office, which answers only to the Legislative Assembly through the Speaker.

Brian Tomlinson, managing director of the National Roads Authority of the Cayman Islands, was unavailable for comment at press deadline.

As a low-lying country Grand Cayman floods very easily, forcing residents indoors whenever there is a heavy downpour. Hurricane Ivan, which devastated the Island in September 2004, left most parts under water.