A sewer pipe being laid at The Spyglass, a luxury apartment and townhouse complex in Jack's Hill, is at the centre of a new row between upper St Andrew residents and contractors.
Situated on just over five acres of land, Spyglass is a multi-million dollar joint venture between Minister of Science, Energy, Communications and Transport, Darryl Vaz, and St Ann's businessman, Arthur von Strohly of AVS Builders Limited. AVS Builders is the company behind the high-rise development.
Residents are outraged that more than three-quarters of Tavistock Terrace has been dug up to make way for a sewer pipe that stretches all the way to Millsboro Avenue in the area.
Jack's Hill resident Eleanor Jones says no more development should be approved in the area overlooking the city of Kingston, which she says will inconvenience residents and involve poor decision-making.
“The situation at Tavistock is a huge failure and speaks volumes about how we manage our land use and development. This is a highly vulnerable area,” Mr Jones said.
A site supervisor said work along the road began in December. GreenerIt is expected to be completed within two weeks.
The man claimed the complaints were part of a larger dispute between “rich people” Greener On Thursday.
He said the metres-long trench was filled ahead of Hurricane Beryl, which hit the island on Wednesday and caused devastation in central and southern Jamaica, including the parishes of Manchester and St Elizabeth.
The rainfall caused the soil used to temporarily fill the trench to erode, causing large amounts of water to flow down onto the terrace.
Retired doctor Errol Williamson called it a “catastrophe” as residents were denied complete access to the road.
“I just want to know what it takes to stabilise Tavistock Terrace. The whole hill is unstable now,” he argued.
Another resident condemned the construction, claiming that the ongoing works have reduced the value of his property, making it impossible for him to sell.
“My property is worth less than this ditch they dug. Even if I wanted to sell my property for $50,000, I can't. I'm going to have to sell it for $25,000 because of this stupid thing they're doing,” a man said from his car as he drove by.
Similarly, another resident who had to park his car and walk to his destination on Millsboro Road said there was a risk of unsuspecting drivers falling into the ditch, which had been filled back in with soil. Greener I visited.
The man said the move was pointless, pointing out that it was only a matter of time before the expected rains would erode the land.
The Jamaica Meteorological Service warned that a tropical cyclone could affect the island in the near future.
But the supervisor hit back, calling the residents “mean.”
He said once the sewer system is completed, it will benefit not only Spyglass but the entire region.
Moreover, the road will be paved once the sewerage works are completed, he said.
“The contract says we have to repair the road, and we're going to do that. Would you rather do it twice or once?”
“People are complaining bitterly, but this project will increase house prices. So there's a benefit to this project that they're not talking about. There's no infrastructure on the roads and we're building it,” he said.
In addition to that, Spyglass complied with all building regulations and received the necessary approvals for the sewer pipes, he said.
“These people have personal issues and they're trying to dominate here. This is a war between the wealthy,” he said.
KimoneFrancis@gleanerjm.com
