A councilor quits the Buildings and Planning Committee amid controversy

The heated controversy over the construction of a building by Councilor Dennis Gordon (People’s National Party, Maxfield Division) took another turn on Saturday when he announced his retirement from the Buildings and Town Planning Committee of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC).

In addition, Gordon said he is stepping down as chairman of the KSAMC Finance Committee effective immediately.

Noting that the matter is being investigated by KSAMC, Gordon said in a statement that he made the decision “in recognition and support of the current KSAMC administration’s efforts to strengthen governance procedures.”

Gordon also said his company “has taken the necessary steps to regularize the state of development” and remains “fully committed to supporting and upholding the principles of transparency, accountability and good governance in the administration of KSAMC.”

The matter came to public attention two weeks ago when National news reported that an enforcement agency had launched an investigation into reports that Gordon’s JACDEN business complex at 18 ½ Lyndhurst Road in St Andrew “was erected this year without the relevant permit from the KSAMC”.

It was later revealed that the enforcement agency was the Integrity Commission.

Responding to the report, Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby issued a statement on 24 December 2024 in which he said he immediately requested a detailed report on the matter, adding that the facts only came to his attention through the report he ordered.

“The report highlights the following key developments regarding the development at 18 ½ Lyndhurst Road:

• 21 April 2023: JACDEN submitted an application seeking permission for the partial demolition, renovation and construction of a two-storey building for office and warehouse use.

• April 25, 2023: The request was assigned to the building official responsible for the area in which the property is located.

• May 5, 2023: The application was submitted to the Jamaica Fire Brigade and the Town and Country Planning Authority.

• June 20, 2023: The building officer completed an initial assessment of the application.

• August 3, 2023: The Jamaica Fire Brigade responded to the application requesting changes.

• September 29, 2023: The Director of Planning visited the site and discovered that the structure under construction was a three-story building, exceeding the two stories specified in the application.

• October 9, 2023: The Urban Planning Authority responded to the request, also requesting changes.

• October 17, 2023: The inconsistency of the plans was officially documented in the file.

• November 10, 2023: The owner/occupier was served with a “cease work” notice.

Swaby also said that “several key requirements were subsequently imposed on the applicant to regularize the development (as a built measure). These included submitting updated drawings that accurately reflect the actual construction, paying as-built fees equal to one percent of the invoice quantities prepared by a registered quantity surveyor (the maximum fee allowed by law for violations) and providing an engineer’s report professional to confirm structural integrity.”

He said that as of April 30, 2024, the applicant had complied with all these requirements.

In addition, the mayor said relevant agencies, including the Jamaica Fire Brigade and the National Works Agency, had reviewed the updated documents, “and each recommended for approval in December 2024”.

“On December 10, 2024, the Director of Engineering recommended the application for building approval, and it was forwarded to the Planning Department on December 17, 2024 for review, after which it will be presented to the Building and Planning Committee for review. ,” the mayor said, adding that in light of the Integrity Commission’s investigation, he would reserve further comment on the matter until the commission’s report is released.

On October 25, 2024, Gordon hosted a soft launch for his JACDEN group of companies inside the building that bears his name and houses a new medical facility.

The JACDEN Group of Companies, which started in 2008, provides a wide variety of services from nursing services to project management and trading services, along with the supply of pharmaceutical and medical supplies to hospitals in Jamaica and the Caribbean.