Physical Planning Unit proposal solves Mountain Top matter

A resolution has been reached in the matter in which Mountain Top Springs Ltd. was prevented from re-erecting a billboard at the entrance of the Unity Labour Party’s office at Richmond Hill.{{more}}

When SEARCHLIGHT contacted Ken Da Silva, Manager of Mountain Top Springs Ltd, on Wednesday, he said that he is reasonably satisfied with a proposal sent to him by the Physical Planning Unit.

He explained that he had been hoping to reinstall a double visibility sign, but because of the new location that has been offered by the Planning Unit, he will only be able to erect a single view billboard.

In a letter to Da Silva, dated Wednesday, September 29, Town Planner Anthony Bowman proposed that the Mountain Top Spring Water sign that was knocked down recently, be reinstated closer to the bus shed in the area.

Bowman told Da Silva that the Physical Planning Unite had conducted a site visit to the locality on Monday, September 27, with a view to achieving a practical resolution to the matter satisfactory to all stakeholders.

On Wednesday, September 29, Da Silva had visited SEARCHLIGHT’s office and complained that Julian Francis, General Secretary of the Unity Labour Party (ULP), had behaved in a thuggish manner by removing a sign frame that he had erected at Richmond Hill.

He decried the actions of Francis, claiming that he acted outside of his authority.

Da Silva said that the original sign, which had been in that location for more than five years, was knocked down when a vehicle owned by Franco Construction and driven by Charmaine Francis, crashed into it in the early hours of August 28, 2010.

To make matters worse, after he put up the new sign frame, it was soon removed and the ULP “Starlight” truck was parked in the exact location where the sign was to be re-erected.

When contacted, ULP General Secretary Julian Francis said that it was his understanding that Physical Planning were to inform Da Silva of the decision to disallow another sign to be erected in that location, and that he had called Da Silva to inform him of his intentions.

Meanwhile, Da Silva says he would like to know if a sign that is being prepared at the ULP’s Richmond Hill office grounds will be erected in the spot where his sign was previously located.

He noted that if his sign compromised the view of persons in the area, by obscuring or blocking the visibility of and from the properties along that section of Murray’s Road, as stated by Physical Planning and Francis, he would really like to see what would be happening at that space. Late Wednesday evening, the sign being prepared at the ULP’s office was erected, but rather than placing it in the spot where the Mountain Top Spring Water sign was located, the electronic billboard was set up on the ULP premises with a clear view from the road.

Da Silva had also disclosed in his most recent interview, that he will be sending the bill for the preparation of his new sign to Franco Construction. (HN)