Cole Bay: --- Some three families are now protesting the construction of a warehouse in their neighborhood especially since there is no access road leading to the property.
The well-known Cole Bay families in an interview with SMN News said public works department tried tricking them because they know they granted a building permit to someone to build warehouses on a property that has no access road. The Hughes and James families said Public Works began moving some containers next to their property telling them it contained material for the round about.
They said knowing the roundabout is an asset to everyone they did not protest, but while they were not paying attention the owners of the parcel of land which is between the two families began building a warehouse even though they have no access road much less parking.
Rita Hughes said it has been quite sometime now she has been complaining that some the owners of the property next to her has been blocking her view and house with a set of containers. The woman said while these people are the owners of the property placing containers on it is dangerous since many children lives in the neighborhood. Furthermore, she explained that the parcel of land next to her has no access road since she and her brother paid for the road when they purchased the land some years ago. Russell Hughes said ROB or the island government has to provide a road for the developer since they are not willing to sacrifice the lives of the children living in the area. Hughes said on several occasions the persons living in the neighborhood had to run for their lives when the containers are going down their road. He said there is no space for huge vehicles to maneuver on the property and he wants the governor to tell him why he granted a building permit or even a business license to someone to store acid in such a neighborhood. “When Rita and I bought this parcel of land we joined it together with the Hughes and Richardson property to make one road, which we paid for as well as sacrificing the length of or our property for the road.
Rita Hughes said when they noticed that warehouses were being built next to her, she and her brother went to VROM, and two inspectors visited the site, and they said they did not see anything wrong with the ongoing construction. The woman said these inspectors saw the building is on the bound, they saw there is no space for a septic neither space for the run off water, yet they said nothing is wrong. The woman said it was then she and the neighbors in the area decided to put up a bound and stopped the contractors from using their property. “The next thing I saw they went through the James’s property and poured the concrete from over there in one day’s time, I thought the James’s had given permission not realizing they were not aware of what was going on in their neighborhood.” Rita Hughes explained that she believed a building stop was finally issued because they already exposed the situation in the media.
Her brother Russell said that already the acting head of Public Works acknowledged they have a problem on their hand and the governor may have to find a solution to the ongoing dispute. The man said that under no circumstances, they would agree to have a warehouse in the neighborhood and the contractors and owners of the property would not be able to use their road.
“The Hughes and Richardson have a road, while the James’s family owns the other road and the only person who does not have a road is the Cannigitter family.” Hughes said. The landowner said this is not the first time the owner of that property sold the land to other people even though he knows he has no road. “At least three persons had to take back their monies from the person who sold them the property for the lack of an access road. However, this time somebody from Public Works is conspiring with the developer because they know the situation yet still they granted them a building permit.
At the location yesterday was Leopold James, Edwin, and Rodman James who are in support of the Hughes. The James’s took measurements to see if the developer is abiding by the law to build three meters away from his bound. On one side the bound is exactly three meters away but on the other side they are short by two meters. There is no space for parking neither there is space for a cesspit.
Leopold James said he has a daughter who is trying to obtain a building permit to build her house in the same neighborhood and public works is pushing her around even though she meets the requirements. He said he cannot understand what is going on and how government could expect them to tolerate what is taking place in their neighborhood.
Edwin James also expressed the same concerns he said the island government even has to adjust the plans of the roundabout, which is endangering their daily lives. James said he already submitted an objection letter to the executive council outlining his concerns and hopes that the council would intervene.
