Two small?businessmen who feel they are being disadvantaged by the construction of The Villages, the upscale housing project at Coverley, Christ Church, are hoping for a conciliatory Christmas gift from Government.
Ronald Greenidge of Robar Technology Inc. and Enoch Legall of MacGyver’s Construction believe that efforts are under way by the developers to keep them out of Coverley even though they were based there first.
An upset Greenidge told the Sunday Sun that the developers – Caribbean Homes Ltd. – who are building the project in conjunction with the National Housing Corporation, first tried to close the road.
Greenidge said a huge concrete barrier was erected across the road for several months this year and he was forced to take action and break it away in order for his trucks to travel on the road.
“They erected the barrier and told us it was only for a short time so that they could barbergreen the road, but after a few months Mr Legall contacted Johan Bjerkhamn (project co-ordinator) and asked him when it was going to be removed and he told him it was staying there until 2013.”Greenidge, who has operated his business at Coverley since 2003, said he was in shock that the developers could block off a public road so he contacted the Ministry of Transport and Works.
“I spoke to Mr [Frank] Thornhill [Chief Technical Officer] and he visited the area and told me that no permission was granted to have the jersey bar erected across the road and he would look into it.” Greenidge said he never heard back from Thornhill.
“We couldn’t tolerate it anymore so one day we destroyed the jersey bar,” he added.He said the developers called in the police and there was a confrontation, but after that it was agreed the barrier would not be replaced.However, a few weeks ago Greenidge said the developers installed speed humps along the road.
“These humps are very annoying because my vehicles leave laden with concrete blocks and Mr Legall’s trucks are full of cement. These will run up our maintenance costs,” he said.
He also lamented that the developers had placed a concrete barrier across another road – Sleet Road – which was off Coverley and a shortcut for many residents.
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