Councillor Dennis Gordon withdraws from KSAMC's Building and Town Planning Committee
Published:Saturday | December 28, 2024 | 11:23 AM
Councillor for the Maxfield Division, Dennis Gordon, says he has withdrawn from the Building and Town Planning Committee of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) with immediate effect amid a probe surrounding breaches at a building constructed by his company in St Andrew.
Gordon says he is also withdrawing from the Finance Committee.
Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby on Tuesday confirmed that the KSAMC issued an order for work to stop on a building constructed by the JACDEN Group on Lyndhurst Road after a breach was detected at the site.
Gordon is the chairman of the JACDEN Group.
Swaby said the cease work order was placed on the development in November 2023, after it was discovered that the structure was a three-storey building, exceeding the two storeys specified in the application.
He also stated that several key requirements were imposed on JACDEN to regularise the development and, as at April 30, 2024, the applicant had complied with all the requirements.
Swaby said an application for approval of the variations at the development is now before the Corporation.
He said it was referred to the Planning Department on December 17, 2024, for its consideration after which, it will be presented to the Building and Planning Committee.
In a media release on Saturday, Gordon said he made the decision to step away from both posts "in recognition of and support for the efforts of the current administration of the KSAMC to strengthen governance procedures."
"The decision is made even though my company has taken the required steps to regularise the status of the development, as I remain fully committed to upholding and supporting the principles of transparency, accountability and good governance in the administration of the KSAMC," he added.
The Integrity Commission has reportedly started an investigation into the matter.
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