Penny wise or pound foolish on Acadia works?

THE EDITOR, Madam:

A developer on Shortwood Road, in conjunction with the National Water Commission (NWC),

is currently in the process of installing a sewer line in the gully that runs from Roseberry

Drive in Acadia to Old Church Road – a sewage main line. The NWC’s Delano Williams has

advised that taking the sewage through the gully is the best route, based on the assessment

of the technical team.

However, no consultation has been undertaken with the residents of Acadia, who could be

adversely affected by a sewage line that is poorly designed and maintained. While we are

not civil engineers, in our humble opinion the sewage line should not be placed in the gully,

but, instead, be run along Shortwood Road to the sewer mains on Constant Spring

Road.

While this would entail some disruption to residents and commuters, it is far more practical

in the long run to take the route down Acadia Drive, especially as there are several large

developments on Acadia Drive that could be connected. Taking this route would also

facilitate the connection of households to the sewer line.

The gully in question is over 50 years old, and during Hurricane Gilbert (1988) a road (below

Roseberry – Roxburgh Drive) over the gully collapsed and was subsequently closed for

over nine months. Just imagine if there had been a sewage line in the gully at the time.

The residents of Acadia are also concerned about the fact that the current roadworks have

been completed without any advice or consultation with them. The permissions granted by

the National Works Agency (NWA) included a requirement to advise the public in the

national media – this did not happen.

The timelines approved by the NWA were not

adhered to, and this has caused huge disruption both to residents trying to go about their

normal lives and the back-to-school traffic. There is also the concern that the developer is

doing the roadworks. Do they have the necessary expertise to repair the road to a

satisfactory condition? Is the NWA monitoring this?

We are formally requesting a meeting with the senior management of theNWC,

NWA and Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Council, the member of parliament

and the councillor for the area to discuss this matter.

We are also requesting that all works be suspended until formal consultations with Acadia

residents are complete.

HORACE EDWARDS

President

Acadia Citizens’ Association