Prime lands development behind Houston; residents kept in dark

Jun 27, 2020 News

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Residents of Plantation Houston Estates/Houston Gardens say that it appears as if key details of re-development plans for acres of prime lands behind them are deliberately being withheld.

These residents have been seeking these details of the land plans since December last year when it was reported that Houston will be re-developed as part of a Georgetown Master plan for the Oil and Gas Industry.
Chief Development Planner (CDP) of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Germene Stewart had made this revelation during a press conference.
She had said that the land development process catering for the oil and gas sector had already begun. Stewart also stated that a first round of consultations with land owners and developers was completed by CH&PA. As result, she added, 44 applications were processed of which 39 were approved.
Mention was also made of subsequent applications received from a total of 914 businesses. Out of the 914 applications, 905 were processed and out of the 905, 714 were approved.
However, key details as to who are these land owners, developers and businesses were never revealed.

Residents were never told what would be the major developments or detailed on the nature of the businesses approved to occupy these prime lands.
The Houston residents were also at a loss as to what provisions are in the development plans for the existing residential communities close to these lands.
In fact, prior to this announcement, CH&PA had never consulted with the residents for their inputs as is required by the law for the re-zoning or redevelopment of the lands for industrial purposes. Residents were outraged at this move and began to press CH&PA for answers.
One resident told Kaieteur News that they were not going to sit down and take such disrespect from the Authority and the residents were called to meeting on January 21 of 2020.
The meeting, however, only highlighted a previous concern that residents had over a permission being solicited by an American chemical company to build a storage facility in the Houston area. Feeling dissatisfied the residents wrote a letter to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CH&PA, Lelon Saul dated January 31, 2020, demanding the key details of the re-development plans.
In the letter, the residents requested that they be told who are the agencies responsible for re-zoning of the land. Questions were also raised about the transparency of the re-rezoning process of the lands from Agricultural to commercial or industrial. Residents demanded that the benchmarks and standards used for such planning be made known.Nevertheless, residents said, CH&PA ignored their questions and responded three months after via letter informing that it will move ahead with its plans. The response letter also advised the residents that they will be given a chance to make their input.
On May 23 and official Gazette Order was published about the re-zoning and re-development of the prime lands. The Order stated that an area comprising of 3101 acres will be part of a special redevelopment scheme.
It was also mentioned in the order that this area borders a number of residential communities such as Houston, South Ruimveldt, Cummings lodge, Agricola, Industry and Ogle.
Reading the order further infuriated residents because CH&PA had still not informed them on the key details they had asked for. On June 14, a public notice was published in the State owned daily newspaper, Guyana Chronicle, inviting residents from the residential communities listed in the Gazetted Order to have their say in the development plans.
The notice detailed that the period for consultations will end on June 30 at 16:30 hrs.

Residents willing to make their inputs were advised to do so via telephone calls and through facilitated “Zoom online Platforms”. This notice was found to be distasteful by the residents, so much that they were forced to write a next letter to the authorities.
Residents argued, in the letter dated June 22, that the time period of sixteen days is way too short for inputs on such a major re-development of the lands which involves multiple residential areas.
They said that it was “disadvantageous to residents to assess and comment without key details as to what these future developments are”.
The residents then concluded their letter by requesting that the details be provided to them urgently.
Since this letter was sent, CH&PA has not given a response and final day for consultations is almost near. Houston residents told Kaieteur News that they are beginning to feel that CH&PA is deliberately keeping them in the dark.
One resident explained that they are not against development but they must know the nature of these developments especially when it comes to the impact on the environment. The man noted, for example, that industrializing an area close to residential neighbourhoods risks human lives being lost to accidental explosions or toxic gases from chemicals.

 

 

 

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