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The casino is not the problem!

Mar 07, 2016 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

I do not understand all the fuss about casino being established, “next” to a mosque. Since when is this a problem?
The proposed casino is not located next to any mosque. It is located one block away from the mosque. There is another casino located one block away from a mosque. The Princess Hotel has a casino and the Princess Hotel is located on block away from a major mosque. I have never heard anyone protest about this development. So what is all the fuss about?
It is not as if the casino is an open-air event. These are enclosed facilities and entry is supposed to be only permissible to foreign nationals or guests of the hotel. It is not a full-public facility. So why is there such a fuss?
Not far away from the mosque, in fact just around the corner is a joint in which striptease takes place on weekends.
This is known to the residents in the area. But I have not heard anyone protest about the striptease joint located just one block around the corner from the mosque. But there is a big hue and cry about a proposed casino.
One explanation for opposing the casino is that the area is a residential area and therefore it should not be there. If the area is a residential area, no hotel, period, no commercial business, period, should be located there.
In fact, under strict zoning laws – which Guyana does not have – a mosque is not supposed to be in a residential area.  So for consistency, let there be a survey and let all those businesses that are not supposed to be in a residential area be given notice and asked to cease their operations.
Zoning has gone through the window a long time ago. Pubs and bars are being set up in residential areas. Permission has been granted for these pubs and bars.
The permission is oblivious to the effects that pubs and bars are having in the community. Just ask the folks of Station Street what they think about the number of rum shops in their community. There is a major night club located opposite a church. There are bars established near to churches.
The concept of ‘residential areas’ is now obsolete. Businesses are propping up in communities which usually describe themselves as ‘residential.’
In government housing schemes, the contract between the house lot owner and the Ministry of Housing specifies that the lots cannot be used for commercial purposes. Just go into any government housing scheme and see how many shops and businesses are established on government house lots.
South Ruimveldt and North Ruimveldt used to be strictly residential areas. Just go now and see how many businesses are being established within those communities.
To bring order to this disorder in Guyana will require measures that go beyond limiting the establishment of a casino near to a mosque. It will require designating commercial zones, entertainment zones, zones for government offices, zones for religious institutions and zones for hospitals.
The casino is not the problem. The problem is the lack of proper urban planning. Do you really believe that people want proper zoning in Guyana?

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