IN A month's time it is proposed to declare the heart of Kingston a National Heritage site, a large area stretching from the waterfront, north to North Street, east to Hanover Street and west to West Street. As we understand it, any future development in this area will be subject to approval by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) which wants the architectural ambience of Kingston to be predominantly Georgian in style. Aesthetics, like morality, is difficult to legislate and it could well be that the announced rezoning plan will be counter-productive.
The area to fall under architectural policing by the JNHT is too large. We would have no objection if individual buildings, identified and designated as reflecting the graceful Georgian lines of a past age, are required to be restored in a similar manner and style. But even this may be limited in scope because many such buildings are already too far gone for restoration and would need to be demolished and rebuilt.
We do not think it will be economically feasible to insist that new structures conform to the limitations of Georgian architecture which usually specifies a building height of no more than four storeys. The cost of land may be too expensive to accommodate this luxury, necessitating high-rise structures which can display their own architectural integrity. Already these are some pleasing examples in the re-zoned area and we think the time is long overdue for Kingston to have a skyline of high-rise buildings which grace most capital cities built on the lip of a harbour.
We are also concerned that a new layer of bureaucracy is being created which could result in planning delays of such duration that potential investors and developers will be discouraged. We are fully in favour of stricter building codes being enforced by the KSAC, dealing with specific features like access for the disabled, number of elevators and toilets, fire exits and staircase to allow for quick evacuation. Entrepreneurs planning to put up new buildings in the re-zoned area should be given scope to create what types of structure appeals to their imaginations and which their money will fund.
Even as we try to preserve existing Georgian buildings which are capable of restoration we must be careful not to stifle the use of modern technology in making Kingston a proud city. The blanket approach to redevelopment is too far-reaching and restrictive and therefore likely to fail.
