Claudine Housen, Staff Reporter
Fisherman Trevor Ebanks laments his plight after his home was demolished, along with those of more than 21 dwellers living on the river bank along the Norman Manley Boulevard in Negril, early Tuesday morning. The remaining debris was removed yesterday, along with the residents. - CLAUDINE HOUSEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
WESTERN BUREAU:
FOR THE residents of the riverside community along the Norman Manley Boulevard, Negril, it is not shaping up to be a merry Christmas.
After their homes were demolished by representatives of the Negril Green Island Area Local Planning Authority early Tuesday morning, the residents had to stand aside and watch the men remove the remains of their possessions yesterday afternoon.
They are claiming that they are not being treated fairly by the authorities.
"We get the notice on October 15 to move in 28 days," said Kemeisha Marks, who had lived at the site for 13 years.
NOTICE WAS TOO SHORT
Residents claim the notice was too short for them to move and that Ferris Dickson, manager for the Negril Green Island Area Local Planning Authority, had refused to grant an extension.
According to the residents, some of whom have lived at the location for the past 17 years, they were in their beds about midnight Tuesday when the police and a demolition team equipped with sledgehammers and bulldozers came and razed their homes.
Mr. Reynolds told a slightly different story. He said the last notice was served on November 10, 2005, and that since then he has been in dialogue with the residents, imploring them to move.
"They say they are going to move but I asked them when and they cannot give me a day, a week, or a month," he said. "(They) are sending a message that they don't want to move. We just took down 21 illegal structures - it was 24 persons but three removed, based on my appeals ... It is quite unfortunate that we have to (demolish the homes) but the authorities have been giving them notice for the past 10 years."
