The controversial worksite on Tuesday morning.
CAY HILL--Cay Hill residents on Tuesday called on government to immediately stop the construction of an “illegal” commercial development in the area. If not, the residents threaten to take government to court.
More than 20 Cay Hill residents signed a petition against the development and submitted it to government and Parliament on April 20.
“To our knowledge the lots in the outlined area/location have been pegged for residential use. However, the proprietor of this property has placed over 20 40-foot containers on said lot and seemed to have commenced an illegal commercial operation of some sort on the location as of March 22.
“As a result, all residents have had to put up with an influx of noise, dangerously parked cars, unknown personnel and daily heavy equipment and container movement at various hours and on holidays.
“This raises our level of concern for the safety and security of our neighbourhood, in addition to how this sort of operation will affect the valuation of our properties. The double-stacked 40-foot containers pose a serious hurricane hazard to the direct and surrounding area,” the petition read.
Sometime after the petition was submitted, government representatives reportedly told the residents that the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI had issued a building stop order for the development on April 16, which was put in place pending a decision on a building permit application. However, VROMI allowed the owner to conduct “minor work” in the meantime, such as tiling.
The residents said the owner has ignored the order and started pouring a concrete roof on Tuesday.
The Daily Herald understands that a government inspector visited the controversial worksite on Tuesday afternoon.
“The entire development is illegal because no permit has been issued. Why has government not stopped the development outright, if there is no permit? Also, by allowing minor work to proceed, is government saying it is considering allowing a commercial development on a residential lot? …
“We are asking government again to do what is clearly right, or we will have to do what we have to, based on the law, to protect ourselves and our properties,” the residents said.
