Speaker of the House of Representatives and Member of Parliament for North-East St Andrew, Delroy Chuck has thrown his support behind Prime Minister Bruce Golding in the PM’s call for higher density living in the Kingston Metropolitan Area. Speaking on "Perkins Online", on Wednesday, March 5, 2008, with talk show host Wilmot Perkins, Mr Chuck cited examples in North America, which he claimed supported this development strategy being promoted by the Golding regime of mixed use for selected residential communities. Indeed the Speaker of the House identified this strategy as being critical to the investment process and bemoaned the time delays in obtaining building approvals.
However, detractors to this strategy point to the British model, which is more akin to Jamaica’s development strategy, where there are designated residential zones and commercial activity is focused around the Main Street’s located just outside the residential neighbourhood and in other places zoned for commercial activity. Whereas from time to time there may be some applications for change of use, the character of the residential communities remain largely unaffected and in particular circumstances moves are afoot to return those properties to purely residential use. Indeed, the single largest commercial zone in Jamaica, Downtown Kingston is largely unoccupied because of a crime concerns. However, because of a lack of effective oversight by the state regulators, there is encroachment from the commercial entities in the residential areas "uptown", creating an artificial demand for the units and driving prices upwards.
Whereas Speaker Chuck, did acknowledge the difficulties involved in treating with the issues in Downtown Kingston, he was far more interested in the rezoning of residential communities, stopping just short of PM Golding’s recent declaration that anyone living on three-quarters of an acre of land in Jamaica is living in “luxury”. Indeed, so strident was Mr Chuck's presentation that it begs the question, "To what extent does his perspective reflect the views of the largely residential Kingston 8 constituency he represents?
However, detractors to this strategy point to the British model, which is more akin to Jamaica’s development strategy, where there are designated residential zones and commercial activity is focused around the Main Street’s located just outside the residential neighbourhood and in other places zoned for commercial activity. Whereas from time to time there may be some applications for change of use, the character of the residential communities remain largely unaffected and in particular circumstances moves are afoot to return those properties to purely residential use. Indeed, the single largest commercial zone in Jamaica, Downtown Kingston is largely unoccupied because of a crime concerns. However, because of a lack of effective oversight by the state regulators, there is encroachment from the commercial entities in the residential areas "uptown", creating an artificial demand for the units and driving prices upwards.
Whereas Speaker Chuck, did acknowledge the difficulties involved in treating with the issues in Downtown Kingston, he was far more interested in the rezoning of residential communities, stopping just short of PM Golding’s recent declaration that anyone living on three-quarters of an acre of land in Jamaica is living in “luxury”. Indeed, so strident was Mr Chuck's presentation that it begs the question, "To what extent does his perspective reflect the views of the largely residential Kingston 8 constituency he represents?
Indeed, detractors to this perspective, continue to point to a paucity of political will in confronting the real challenges to the housing crisis in Jamaica and hence this renewed focus on what is thought to be the point of least resistance, the residential communities. Increased investment flows will occur in circumstances where there is order, but this wildcat approach to development, that is being adopted, where not even enough time is to allowed for Environmental Impact Assessments, is deemed to be neither in the interest of the investor nor resident.
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