By Roy Sanford, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
GOVERNOR-GENERAL Sir Howard Cooke is 'worried' that Montego Bay is growing so rapidly that it is difficult, if not impossible, to produce the necessary infrastructure to keep up with the growth.
It is a view that is supported by Councillor Mayor Donaldson, the Mayor of Montego Bay. "I certainly share the Governor-General's concern," Mr. Donaldson told The Gleaner on Tuesday.
CONCERN
Sir Howard expressed his concern after his annual visit to patients and staff of the Cornwall Regional Hospital last Friday.
"That is what I am worried about," he told journalists. "I fly over and the development in this town is so rapid that it is impossible to produce the infrastructure to keep up with this. Montego Bay is developing at a pace you people will have to look at and to make provision for the infrastructure for the growth of the city."
Mr. Donaldson said that it is unquestionable that the rapid growth of the population in Montego Bay has put a strain on the city's infrastructure. "Our infrastructure has certainly not been able to keep pace," he stated.
According to the Mayor, the long dormant Greater Montego Bay Redevelopment Plan (GMRP) is critical to addressing the city's infrastructure deficit. The GMRP is a 20-year development plan for the city, which was completed in 1997.
Approximately $9 million was spent to draft that plan but Mr. Donaldson pointed out that it has been on the backburner for some time.
CRITICS
Critics of the plan have consistently said that it has failed to adequately address a proper transport plan for the city. "I believe that the plan is critical because what it focuses on is the long-term development of Montego Bay," he noted. "It encompasses issues such as transportation and roads which are critical components in our infrastructure development."
He said that the St. James Parish Council is now attempting to reinvigorate the plan.
Mr. Donaldson said that other issues such as the city's markets, health care facilities, the fire services, and the sewage system are all critical in addressing Montego Bay's infrastructure deficit.
"The types of facilities that we provide for our citizens to accommodate the growth in population must seriously be addressed," he said.
