Jamaica
News - Real Estate - Services (June 7, 2004)
Clampdown on
street garages starts today
The Kingston and St Andrew Corporation
(KSAC), the capital's local government, says that it will today start its
clampdown on sidewalk and unregistered motor mechanic garages - a move aimed at
enforcing zoning laws and enhancing public health.
"This is one war the KSAC is not going to
lose," said Kingston Mayor and chairman of the KSAC, Desmond McKenzie.
"We have to make people understand that the law must be respected."
McKenzie several weeks ago announced his plan to
go after such garages, but pushed back the late May start date after the local
government got legal advice on how to proceed.
The mayor now says that the way is now clear
for his team to go into action, although he declined to say where the programme
will start.
He has, however, identified communities such as
Patrick City, Cassia Park, Eastwood Park Gardens and Richmond Park as having
acute problems.
In fact, sidewalk garages are common across
the capital, and in many residential areas, home owners often complain about the
unsightly mess of vehicles being repaired next to their properties, and of junk
parked on open lots and on roadways.
Such encroachments, they point out, bring down
property value and often create the environment for the breeding of vermin which
endanger public health.
But even as he launches this campaign against
such garages, McKenzie said he was aware of the dislocations, apparently in
terms of the loss of jobs in communities, by the enforcement of the zoning laws.
The KSAC, he said, was discussing with the
Government's training agency, HEART/NTA, the possibility of further training for
some of the employees who will be affected, allowing them to find jobs with
formal and legal operations.
Additionally, McKenzie has met with land and
environment minister, Dean Peart, who has promised to help find alternative
space to relocate some of these garages.
But these considerations would not deter the KSAC
from moving ahead, he suggested.
"Mr Peart has indicated a willingness to
assist, but in the interim, we have to do what we have to do," McKenzie
said. "Right now, our job is to remove the illegal, unhealthy and unsightly
activities from the streets of the Corporate Area, and we intend to start this
programme on Monday at 10:00 am."
The effort, he said, would involve the support of
the police in removing vehicles that obstruct the free-flow of traffic. The
KSAC, as it has been doing in recent weeks, will continue the programme of
serving notices on the operators of the illegal garages.
Notices have already been served on a number
of the operators by the Public Health Department, under the Public Health Act,
in situations where health risks have been determined.
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