Where are the property owners?
Dear Editor,
Where are the property owners?
Kingston and St Andrew’s urban landscape is being dominated by the phenomenal growth of high-rise buildings, and there is no doubt that if this trend continues, in the next ten years, this municipality is likely to be unrecognisable to many of us. Nonetheless, there are other issues that confront us in terms of spatial transformation, as not every building is destined to be a high rise.
What seems to be slipping through the cracks is the matter of derelict buildings being hidden in plain sight. For example, two properties in close proximity that have remained uninhabitable for many years. The first is at the corner of Shortwood Road and Charlton Avenue. Frequently, motorists turning from Shortwood Road on to Charlton Avenue and vice versa haggle over who has the right of way in the vicinity of the first property, which is in a state of dereliction, despite a sign posted on the building indicating that it is a private property. There is ample evidence that some misfortune befell this structure from which it is yet to recover. Would the Government have an interest in purchasing this property for the purpose of demolition in order to widen the road?
The second is two houses away on Charlton Avenue. This property appears to be a white elephant. Although it is more intact, it is in a dilapidated condition.
Where are the owners of these properties? Why have our urban planners and policymakers, seemingly, dropped the ball? Does the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) have a role in this matter?
Joan Francis ajfrancis08@gmail.com