Granville needs an overhaul – Kerr-Jarrett

WESTERN BUREAU:

Montego Bay developer Mark Kerr-Jarrett is backing the allocation of more lands to expand the Granville community in St James, but is wary of a property grab by squatters.

Kerr-Jarrett, a former president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, has lamented that infrastructural development has lagged the pace of growth in the community. His diagnosis: Granville needs a complete overhaul.

“I want to see a development plan before I make any contribution. I am not going to make lands available just for them to be turned into squatter settlements and overrun by unsavoury characters,” said Kerr-Jarrett.

“The first thing that I believe is to happen is that the citizens who live in Granville need to take ownership of the community, and put in the work to improve it,” continued Kerr-Jarrett, who once chaired the St James Parish Development Committee. “They need to first invest their resources.”

According to Kerr-Jarrett, unless the residents begin to take charge of Granville by playing their part in putting in the requisite infrastructure, nobody is going to invest in a community in confidence, where such investments could end up being vandalised.

Kerr-Jarrett also noted that, ahead of any development plan, an as-built survey is needed to guide any further development that will take place.

“We need to identify those who own lands and are actually living in the community, and whether the taxes are up to date, then match them against the infrastructures such as water, sewer, light, and Internet capabilities,” said Kerr-Jarrett.

Granville, which is home to the Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College, is considered ripe for development as it is in proximity to the hub of the city’s business process outsourcing sector, as well as Montego Bay Freeport, which is undergoing significant development.