Richmond Park residents fume over plans to build car mart in community

When elderly residents of the Richmond Park community, especially those on WestLake Avenue in Kingston, heard that plans were being put in place to open a new car mart on their street, they became furious.

According to them, during a protest at the intersection of their street with Montgomery Avenue, they believe their years of concerns have been falling of deaf ears, especially at the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC).

They say houses are being totally demolished and businesses established, as in the case of the car mart on WestLake Avenue. It is something they believe is against the laws that govern residential areas.

According to the protesting residents, some of whom bought houses in the Richmond Park and Hagley Park areas in the 1970s, they have watched homes being sold and turned into cesspool business, apartment complexes, trucking businesses, garages and much more, killing the vibrancy of their communities and the spirit of home.

Preston Tabois, president of the Richmond Park Community Development Committee, said they were conducting the peaceful protest to highlight some of the concerns and challenges, especially the elderly and the retired who have no choice but to stay in their yards trying to enjoy their final days.

“It [Richmond Park] is being rapidly commercialised, and, as a result, we have poor electricity supply, because the overload of the transformers from businesses and [also with] the concretisation of the premises. As soon as they buy the premises, they will cut down the trees and concrete the premises which reduces the water absorption and increases the water run-off in the streets, which results in flooding,” Tabois told The Gleaner.

“And we have very little space to walk, because these businesses park their cars on the sidewalk, and we have a lot of senior citizens in this community, so we are appealing to the relevant authorities, the mayor, the KSAMC, the building engineer, the member of parliament, the councillor and NEPA (National Environment and Planning Agency) and any other relevant authorities that can assist us, we would be grateful,” he said.

Judy McKenzie, who has been living on WestLake Avenue for the past 16 years, said she is totally against a car lot being allowed to open on the street where her home is located.

‘TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE’

“They are going to sell motor vehicles inside a residential area. That is totally unacceptable. We have so many problems already, and this, I believe, will only increase the problem,” she told The Gleaner.

For Janet Afflick, a resident from the neighbouring Hagley Park division, who spent her childhood growing up there, when she saw the protest occurring, she got out of her car and decided to join in, primarily because a house on the street of her home was recently listed for $65 million.

“Sixty-five million dollars alone tells you the market they are aiming for. They are not looking for someone to buy their house. They are looking for a business or a developer to buy that property and turn it into another business or a high-rising apartment complex,” Afflick told The Gleaner.

“We’re suffering where people come in, they put business places in our homes, and as much as we write to KSAMC regarding it, nothing is done. We’re ignored on a constant basis, and this is across any [political] party lines that you can have. This is for years that this has been happening, not just today,” she said.

She said in her younger years when the problem of commercialising residential homes in Kingston began, the residents of Hagley Park were told at one point by the authorities that their neighbourhoods would be guarded, and protected against commercialisation. However, the opposite happened in the last three decades, resulting in at least 50 per cent of the houses becoming business establishments.

“Over in Hagley Park, we have cesspool businesses in our community! Cesspool of all things! Come on now. We can’t get rid of the garages! We have nowhere to walk and our children have no place to play. We have no sense of upgrading neighbourhood. It needs to stop!” she said.

She blames the mindset of the new generation who do not see the need for community togetherness, but to only make money.

According to the protesters, the commercialisation of residential communities in the Corporate Area of Kingston and St Andrew has got extremely out of hand.

When Andrew Swaby, mayor of Kingston, was contacted yesterday, he said he was only made aware of the situation on Friday through written communication.

“I only received the letter on Friday, so I am not in a position to say anything other than to put on the record the sequence of events,” Swaby told The Gleaner.

“They were told that I would have to research the issues they raised in their letter,” he said.

ainsworth.morris@gleanerjm.com