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Open The Gate! Residents Say UDC Is Insulting, Out Of Order To Lock Out Jamaicans From Beach
Published: Wednesday | November 13, 20132 CommentsA section of Little Dunn's River.
*Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer
OCHO RIOS, St Ann:
THE LAST stretch of beach in Ocho Rios that allowed unhindered access to Jamaicans, Little Dunn's River on the Belmont property has been barricaded and put under lock by*government*agency Urban Dev-elopmentCorporation*(UDC). And St Ann residents are seething with anger.
Feeling insulted and disrespected by what they described as the condescending attitude of the UDC in a meeting last Friday evening to address the issue, incensed residents demanded that the UDC open the gate and allow residents access to the facility they have been using for nearly 20 years unmolested.
In the meeting, held at the Baptist Church Hall in Ocho Rios, several persons, including representatives from the Ocho Rios Minister's Fraternal, were incensed by the attitude of UDC general*manager, Desmond Malcolm, whom they accused of talking down to them.
Malcolm gave several reasons why the UDC, in the past few weeks, has built a fence and a gate, padlocked the gate, erected 'no parking', 'no trespassing' signs, and put guards at the facility even without consulting with persons who use the facility.
Among the reasons he gave was that the UDC was trying to protect the safety of persons using the facility. He also claimed that persons were taking tourists there and telling them it was Dunn's River. Those reasons, among several others, were shot down as being fallacious.
"The signs are not for safety," Rev Johnathan Hemmings responded. "If they were, they would have been placed all along the roadway down to Dolphin Cove!"
The crowd cheered.
Despite Malcolm's claim that the UDC was intent on developing the beach, there was no appeasing the residents.
His failure, or inability, to give a timeframe as to when access to the property would be allowed, made matters even worse.
Vendors who earn an*income*by selling items near the entrance to the fall said they were now suffering because of the closure.
"How long before the gate open?" asked Ann-Marie Anderson. "We are suffering. My child can't go to school!"
"I'm saying the gates are not going to open any time soon," a defiant Malcolm asserted.
Malcolm claimed the gate was there to protect residents.
"The gate is not there to protect. It is there to prevent residents from accessing the beach," responded Rev Hemmings.
Laughing Waters
One resident, Othneil Brown, reminded that the same thing was said by the UDC of Laughing Waters when they locked out residents years ago. Today, access to Laughing Waters is only for the chosen few.
Rev Carlton Mullings said the UDC's approach was insulting and out of order.
"They come, saying that they have a contract ready to be signed, so they are giving us information rather than consultation. We feel that is an insult to the integrity of the people and to us who are mooting for the reopening of Little Dunn's River to the general public. We think that is out of order."
Questioned after the meeting about the continuation of free access to the facility after development, Malcolm said plans include the*construction*of a parking area, restaurant and some cottages to the west. "To the east, we will have that open so that you'll have free access to the water and they can also go to the falls. Access to that will be free," Malcolm said.
In a release on Saturday, however, the UDC stated that there will be "controlled access" to the falls, which seems to conflict with what Malcolm said on Friday.
rural@gleanerjm.com
Published: Wednesday | November 13, 20132 CommentsA section of Little Dunn's River.
*Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer
OCHO RIOS, St Ann:
THE LAST stretch of beach in Ocho Rios that allowed unhindered access to Jamaicans, Little Dunn's River on the Belmont property has been barricaded and put under lock by*government*agency Urban Dev-elopmentCorporation*(UDC). And St Ann residents are seething with anger.
Feeling insulted and disrespected by what they described as the condescending attitude of the UDC in a meeting last Friday evening to address the issue, incensed residents demanded that the UDC open the gate and allow residents access to the facility they have been using for nearly 20 years unmolested.
In the meeting, held at the Baptist Church Hall in Ocho Rios, several persons, including representatives from the Ocho Rios Minister's Fraternal, were incensed by the attitude of UDC general*manager, Desmond Malcolm, whom they accused of talking down to them.
Malcolm gave several reasons why the UDC, in the past few weeks, has built a fence and a gate, padlocked the gate, erected 'no parking', 'no trespassing' signs, and put guards at the facility even without consulting with persons who use the facility.
Among the reasons he gave was that the UDC was trying to protect the safety of persons using the facility. He also claimed that persons were taking tourists there and telling them it was Dunn's River. Those reasons, among several others, were shot down as being fallacious.
"The signs are not for safety," Rev Johnathan Hemmings responded. "If they were, they would have been placed all along the roadway down to Dolphin Cove!"
The crowd cheered.
Despite Malcolm's claim that the UDC was intent on developing the beach, there was no appeasing the residents.
His failure, or inability, to give a timeframe as to when access to the property would be allowed, made matters even worse.
Vendors who earn an*income*by selling items near the entrance to the fall said they were now suffering because of the closure.
"How long before the gate open?" asked Ann-Marie Anderson. "We are suffering. My child can't go to school!"
"I'm saying the gates are not going to open any time soon," a defiant Malcolm asserted.
Malcolm claimed the gate was there to protect residents.
"The gate is not there to protect. It is there to prevent residents from accessing the beach," responded Rev Hemmings.
Laughing Waters
One resident, Othneil Brown, reminded that the same thing was said by the UDC of Laughing Waters when they locked out residents years ago. Today, access to Laughing Waters is only for the chosen few.
Rev Carlton Mullings said the UDC's approach was insulting and out of order.
"They come, saying that they have a contract ready to be signed, so they are giving us information rather than consultation. We feel that is an insult to the integrity of the people and to us who are mooting for the reopening of Little Dunn's River to the general public. We think that is out of order."
Questioned after the meeting about the continuation of free access to the facility after development, Malcolm said plans include the*construction*of a parking area, restaurant and some cottages to the west. "To the east, we will have that open so that you'll have free access to the water and they can also go to the falls. Access to that will be free," Malcolm said.
In a release on Saturday, however, the UDC stated that there will be "controlled access" to the falls, which seems to conflict with what Malcolm said on Friday.
rural@gleanerjm.com
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