The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

and YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporters

Village Road businesses yesterday blasted the Government’s efforts to repair business premises, residences and driveways/parking lots damaged by the area’s 15-month roadworks as “haphazard” and lacking “structure”.

Michael Fields, president and chief executive of Four Walls Squash and Social Club, who also heads the Village Road Business Collective, in an open letter to Alfred Sears KC, minister of works and utilities, said it was “impossible to reconcile” the latter’s suggestions that promised repairs are now underway with the on-ground reality.

Voicing surprise at the minister’s assertions, especially given the Village Road business community’s alleged lack of communication with the Ministry of Works and Utilities, he also urged the Government to get the traffic lights at the Shirley Street junction operational following “another” three-car accident last week. “Is the Government going to wait for someone to be severely injured or killed?” Mr Fields asked.

He wrote in his letter: “It is difficult to understand why the Ministry of Works refuses to engage in an open and transparent dialogue with the business community, and why our discussions with the Ministry of Finance seem to be an excuse for avoiding answering any questions or providing any official updates on a project that is now seven months delayed and 15 months in, with no end in sight.

“It is impossible to reconcile your comments that remedial work to driveways and parking lots with damage ‘is taking place now’ with what we are seeing on the ground. We see fractured projects popping up from time to time in different places. For example, a few temporary striping marks were placed in one area, but have since washed away.

“We see work randomly starting and stopping. As an example, for about three days last month, we noticed demolition work on a small portion of the sidewalk on the southern end, but that work stopped about two weeks ago. Later, we heard jackhammering on the northern end. There appears to be no structure, consistency or clear work plan. The project is haphazard and disorganised. There is no timeline, and we have no clue what the scope of the remaining work entails.”

Highlighting concerns about a lack of structure and planning, Mr Fields told Mr Sears: “In one instance, an entire parking lot was repaved. In other instances, no work was done - not even to tie-in the newly paved road. Parking lots/driveways have been left dug up, cracked and damaged.

“And in other instances, as one business stated, the work was completed at a sub-par standard. ‘I only wish they would get with it, as my entrance and curbs are a disaster!! The asphalt [poured to tie in] my driveway is higher than before and was not graded properly, so it is extremely difficult to get out the entrance without going further into the road right into oncoming traffic!’

“We also want to stress the importance of getting the traffic lights operational. There was yet another three-car accident last week at the Shirley Street/Village Road junction. Is the Government going to wait for someone to be severely injured or killed before they get the traffic lights working?”

In a final plea to Mr Sears, Mr Fields added: “Minister Sears, we cannot emphasise the damage this 15-month project has caused to businesses in the area and how disappointing the Ministry of Works’ refusal to communicate and engage has been for the community. We implore you to turn things around, and are inviting the Ministry of Works to commit to the following.”

He called on the minister to ‘“walk the Village Road strip alongside businesses to personally survey the damages and status of the work that remains”, plus meet with the Village Road Business Collective to listen to its concerns and those of individual members.

Mr Fields also urged that the Government publicly disclose the remaining work and its scope, plus a project plan, and release the timeline and completion schedule. The Davis administration also needs to “assign a business liaison to provide ongoing updates as needed, and facilitate enhanced communication between the Ministry of Works and the business community”.

“We hope to hear from you in a timely manner, and that you accept our invitation to meet and survey Village Road personally. We remain hopeful for your availability this week,” he added.

Mr Sears, though, last week said repairs have begun to Village Road driveways and parking lots in the aftermath of the road improvement project, with new sidewalks also now being installed.

He said: “Those residents whose driveways, as well as businesses whose parking lots were damaged, remediation is taking place as well as the sidewalk. The initial plan was to rehabilitate the sidewalk [but], as I consulted with the stakeholders, we decided to scrap that and design new sidewalks to go with a new road and that design has been completed.”

Village Road businesses have been vocal about the lack of response by the Ministry of Works to their cries for it to repair damage done to private property during the roadworks initiative. Along with the new sidewalks, new signage and striping closer to the roundabout with Bernard Road is also underway.

Mr Sears acknowledged more must be done for Village Road businesses, and that the Ministry of Finance is working closely with their representatives. “Businesses have also complained about the impact, and they are engaged in negotiation with the Ministry of Finance in terms of some form of compensation or stimulation,” he added.

The cost of the new sidewalks is still being negotiated with the contractor because “these were beyond the initial scope of work”. Mr Sears said the Ministry of Works is now focused on other upgrades throughout New Providence.

“The road project is going forward,” he added. “As you know there’s a lot of road to cover, and also we’re moving into the rainy season. So in addition to repaving, in addition to patching, there’s also the issue of drainage and we’re also giving very focused attention to issues of flood mitigation.

“We’ve bought additional equipment such as pumps and valves so that in the wells, where you have over a period of time water coming up with high tide, these valves will stop the water coming up and just ensure that the drainage of the water that’s ponding on the road or on the sidewalk goes down.

“We’re also re-drilling wells which have been covered with debris so that they can be more effective, and we are drilling additional wells in communities where there is a history of ponding water. So the road is combined with the mitigation and that work is continuing.”

The Ministry of Works is also preparing a public-private partnership (PPP) for a “massive” road rehabilitation programme in Eleuthera, and actively looking for financing to construct the Glass Window Bridge’s replacement.

As for concerns over the Grand Bahama Utility Company’s proposed water rates increase, Mr Sears said: “The matter is being reviewed by the Minister for Grand Bahama and she will report to the Cabinet, at which time it will be considered. But as you know the Grand Bahama Port Authority is the regulator.”