THE KINGSTON and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC), under the leadership of Mayor Desmond McKenzie, has been engaged in recent months in a renewed and vigorous campaign to enforce zoning laws in the Corporate Area. This has come against the background of blatant violations of residential codes mostly by small business operators who have converted homes into garages, restaurants, and other enterprises.The need for proper regulation cannot be overstated given the substantial investments that many people have made into houses from which they expect either to earn a reasonable income from rent or for use as their personal homes. The depreciation of property values that often occurs when codes are violated has a devastating impact on the homeowners.
Against that background, we urge the KSAC to rethink its decision to grant the United States Embassy permission to begin preliminary construction on property in Liguanea where the Americans plan to relocate their chancery and other embassy offices, despite vigorous protests from residents in nearby communities.
The fact that the Town and Country Planning Authority and the National Environment and Planning Agency have given approval for the work to begin, should not, we submit, be the end of the matter. It is true that there are already commercial enterprises on Bamboo Avenue, the proposed site of the new U.S. Embassy. But by the very nature of its operations, the embassy attracts a volume of vehicular and pedestrian traffic that will likely prove to be a strain on the area and ultimately the residents.
The example of the less busy Canadian High Commission should serve as a good example. The Canadians relocated from New Kingston, to West Kings House and Waterloo Roads, with what has proven to be inadequate parking arrangements for its clientele. The result is that many days, cars are parked as far as 200 metres west of the entrance to the High Commission, often in a manner that proves a traffic nuisance for people who live along that road. Ironically, drivers of tow trucks from the Traffic Authority often cruise the area seeking to clamp vehicles that are improperly parked.
We appreciate the concerns that the United States Embassy administrators have about security and their wanting suitable location to meet the residential and commercial needs of their staff. But there clearly needs to be a rethink on this one.
Indeed, it would appear that the KSAC needs to arrange some planning meetings with the representatives of the main embassies and High Commissions in Kingston since the problems to which we have referred do not reside with the Americans or Canadians only. Since the British announced new visa requirements, the number of vehicles parked along Trafalgar Road has increased dramatically.
Restrictions on certain types of commercial activities should be as vigorously applied in Liguanea as they are to Eastwood Park Gardens and Richmond Park. Alternatively, proper infrastructure should be put in place to accommodate the clientele who visit these offices.
