LETTER OF THE DAY: Falmouth development ill-conceived

The Editor, Sir:

In 1991, I had the honour of being part of a team that produced a report called 'Jamaica's Heritage, an Untapped Resource', sponsored by the Tourism Action Plan and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust. This 100-page publi-cation went on to win a UNESCO award at the Leipzig Book Fair in Germany in 1993.

The main focus of the document was the town of Falmouth and its enormous potential for cultural tourism. As said in the preface, "The forgotten town of Falmouth (is an) architectural gem. It is potentially one of the finest and, if rescued immediately, para-doxically one of the easiest areas with which to achieve quick results. One cannot help comparing Falmouth's possi-bilities with the proven success of Colonial Williamsburg in the USA. A remarkable amount of rich and varied architecture from this period survives. Much of it, however, is in a very fragile state and in danger of complete obliteration, unless the problem is immediately tackled by Government, together with input from private enterprise."

Well, almost 20 years after this report was published, none of the extensively researched information it contained seems to have been utilised in the current development of the town of Falmouth as high-lighted in your series of articles on Sunday, August 15.

Feeding frenzy

Rather, the project has become nothing more than a feeding frenzy as big developers with the blessing of government agency the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) turns the town into a massive concrete monstrosity, with little care and concern being paid to what made Falmouth such a unique town in the first place.

I found it ironic that the writer, Janet Silvera, pointed out that the only attractions in the area were the recently opened Outameni Experience and Martha Brae rafting, yet our research went into great detail to explain the potential of a heritage trail which would highlight the region's inventory of historic great houses and the culture of 500 years of sugar production, the town's connec-tion to the famous Barrett-Browning family, and many other attractions.

You ask the question, 'Deve-lopment or catastrophe?" I say definitely catastrophe. Falmouth is now becoming just another tourist trap aimed at selling high-end jewellery and 'made in China' souvenirs. You can get this at thousands of other locations across the world. Rather than focusing on what makes us unique, we have once again given in to the demands of those who try to milk every development project for personal gain without any consideration for the people who are being affected by these developments.

How many locals will be employed at the new Falmouth pier and its expensive shops? How many locals can afford to acquire one of these units? How much of what is produced locally will be sold in these shops? We all know the answer to these questions.

Deplorable condition

In her article, Silvera also pointed out that the town was in a deplorable condition, yet plans are being fast-tracked to welcome ships even before the pier is complete, because, according to a statement accredited to Port Authority Chairman Noel Hylton, "we could not let the business go". So if the pier won't be ready, what of the town itself? Is the pier to become another sterile area where visitors are held captive with no opportunity to experience the real Jamaica?

The bottom line is, the entire project was ill-conceived and is being implemented in an even worse manner. Taking reference from the still-incomplete police station that was supposed to have been constructed for World Cup Cricket four years ago, we can clearly see that any development of the town will follow the same path, and when the foreign partners in the project decide to move their focus elsewhere (as they eventually will), all we will be left with will be nothing more than shattered dreams and regret over what could have been.

I am, etc.,

MILTON WILLIAMS

10 Ward Avenue

Mandeville