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RIU Hotel under scrutiny
Friday, May 09, 2008
MONTEGO BAY, St James - Amid reports that the RIU Hotel at Mahoe Bay near Montego Bay is building a fifth floor that would be a further slap in the face of the Government, officials will visit the site today to determine what the hotel is up to.
Chairman of the St James Parish Council and mayor of Montego Bay, Charles Sinclair and a team from the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) will conduct their second site visit and inspection in less than two weeks at the problem-plagued RIU Hotel.
"We are going there tomorrow (today) to see exactly what is happening... to see whether there is compliance or non-compliance," Sinclair told the Observer last night.
Last week Tuesday, teams from the St James Parish Council, NEPA, National Land Agency (NLA) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) conducted an inspection of the controversial site, following reports of breaches at the hotel development.
A report was later submitted to Prime Minister Bruce Golding who ordered that the hotel should correct breaches of the legitimate building plan which was approved in June 2007.
The approved building permit allowed for the hotel to have three floors and not four now under construction, because it is in the direct flight path of the Sangster International Airport, three kilometres to the east.
The CAA's commissioned land surveyor who did measurements at the building site, had reportedly detected breaches at nine of out 10 buildings being constructed by RIU.
Subsequent reports were that the hotel was building a fifth floor disguised as a basement. Sources close to the site alleged that the plan was "to burm up the soil" by creating a high mound, behind which the partitions for rooms would be installed.
Meanwhile, Sinclair was yesterday unable to confirm reports that work was ongoing at the property, contrary to Golding's instructions.
He argued, however, that he would not be surprised if work was in fact being undertaken to ensure compliance.
"Tomorrow (today) we will see exactly what is happening," he said.
Friday, May 09, 2008
MONTEGO BAY, St James - Amid reports that the RIU Hotel at Mahoe Bay near Montego Bay is building a fifth floor that would be a further slap in the face of the Government, officials will visit the site today to determine what the hotel is up to.
Chairman of the St James Parish Council and mayor of Montego Bay, Charles Sinclair and a team from the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) will conduct their second site visit and inspection in less than two weeks at the problem-plagued RIU Hotel.
"We are going there tomorrow (today) to see exactly what is happening... to see whether there is compliance or non-compliance," Sinclair told the Observer last night.
Last week Tuesday, teams from the St James Parish Council, NEPA, National Land Agency (NLA) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) conducted an inspection of the controversial site, following reports of breaches at the hotel development.
A report was later submitted to Prime Minister Bruce Golding who ordered that the hotel should correct breaches of the legitimate building plan which was approved in June 2007.
The approved building permit allowed for the hotel to have three floors and not four now under construction, because it is in the direct flight path of the Sangster International Airport, three kilometres to the east.
The CAA's commissioned land surveyor who did measurements at the building site, had reportedly detected breaches at nine of out 10 buildings being constructed by RIU.
Subsequent reports were that the hotel was building a fifth floor disguised as a basement. Sources close to the site alleged that the plan was "to burm up the soil" by creating a high mound, behind which the partitions for rooms would be installed.
Meanwhile, Sinclair was yesterday unable to confirm reports that work was ongoing at the property, contrary to Golding's instructions.
He argued, however, that he would not be surprised if work was in fact being undertaken to ensure compliance.
"Tomorrow (today) we will see exactly what is happening," he said.
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