Dear Editor,

WE, the residents of Pigeon Island, write to you to express our dissatisfaction at the commencement of construction of a structure which appears to be for the purpose of a plant shop. This large structure is being constructed by the same person(s) who were removed from Agriculture Road, Triumph.

Upon speaking to a gentleman who is doing the construction, he indicated that he was given permission by the highest authority, and became abusive and declared that “no powers in Guyana” can stop him. We have video evidence of these conversations.

Our concerns from the island are numerous; we have two residents in the island who have plant businesses, and if this gentleman is allowed to set up shop at the entrance to the island, they will go on the breadline. One of the reasons he was moved from Agriculture Road was because they were killing NAREI’s plant business. The BV Chairman raised concerns; there were numerous complaints from residents of Triumph about the structure which was converted to a dwelling space, with concerns about waste disposal. Further, the EPA raised concerns about the chemicals being sprayed at this location affecting residents, and the fact that Pizza Hut is right next to his construction.

We are concerned about this affecting the quality and safety of food. The gentleman is currently bullying another resident who has a small hot-dog business at the spot he wants to now occupy to put this resident on the breadline also. GWI has infrastructure at the location where he is constructing, and is concerned that he can damage this. If this damage occurs, then the communities of Pigeon Island, Chateau Margot, Success and LBI will be without water until taxpayers’ money is diverted to fix the problem. We have video evidence of GWI staff expressing this concern about the construction. Other concerns are that given the history of what happened at Agriculture Road, where a dwelling was attached to that plant shop, is of the degradation and unsightliness which will be created at the only entrance to our community, which can cause our property value to decrease tremendously.

We ask that you intervene to stop this construction, since no consultations with the residents were carried out, and given our concerns highlighted above. Our community is primarily residential, and not an agricultural development one.

Yours sincerely,
The residents of Pigeon Island

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