Caymanas development plans spark environmental concerns

Urban planners and environmentalists say Government\'s planned development for the Caymanas Economic Zone might not be such a good idea.



Government yesterday outlined a near $200 billion development plan for the area that could use up to 2,000 acres of mostly sugar cane lands for commercial, residential and recreational development.



But urban planner, Earl Bailey believes the plans will impact on the drainage patterns of Kingston and Spanish Town.



He says most of Duhaney River depends on the mangrove area to drain water from Kingston and St Andrew.



He says without a proper drainage mechanism wetlands that form a part of the corridor could be severely affected and flooding in the area could also worsen.



The Urban Development Corporation has already made plans for a traffic impact study, environmental impact assessment, sewerage and potable water studies and a drainage assessment to be done.



The government says requests for quotations have been sent out and consultants are to be contracted by November.



But environmentalist, Peter Espeut, says in addition to the environmental concerns, he believes the development will encourage a continuous sprawl from Kingston that could stretch all the way to Mandeville in Manchester.



According to him some buffer zones need to remain to separate the city from these rural towns.



He is even more concerned that the development will be using up land that has been zoned for agriculture.