Parliamentary Representative for the Roseau North Constituency, Danny Lugay, says he’s received a favourable response from the Chief Physical Planner (CPP) regarding his objection to granting planning permission to construct a hotel at the public works garage site.
Lugay is opposed to the government’s plan, announced earlier this year, to transform the site located along the EO Leblanc Highway in Potterville into a five-star hotel.
In addition to speaking publicly on the matter, the member of parliament wrote to the CPP, Naomi Dorival, lodging an objection to the granting of planning permission for the proposed development pursuant to the Physical Planning Act 5 of 2002 (PPA).
Speaking exclusively to Dominica News Online (DNO), Lugay revealed that he is pleased with the response he has received to the letter which was copied to Ms. Carlene Roberts – Chairman, Physical Planning and Development Authority, Vince Henderson – Minister For Planning, Economic Development, Climate Resilience, Sustainable Development and Renewable Energy and the local media houses.
“What the Chief Physical Planner is saying is that she has taken note of my concern in which I quoted the law and she has also indicated that a decision hasn’t been taken to give permission from planning as yet, to build a hotel on the site,” Lugay told DNO.
Lugay has been very vocal about his objections to the construction of a hotel on the site and argues that the two acres of land should be used for the construction of a multipurpose facility that will benefit all citizens and “not a private person.”
“My recommendation is that because of the size of the property, youth skills training can be on one floor. It could become the home of vendors, it could even take a mall. It could have several levels for public use,“ the opposition parliamentarian stated.
In his letter, Lugay said he was informed that a private individual and/or establishment has made an application to the Physical Planning Authority for a development permit to construct a hotel on the recently-vacated site, and pointed out that the planning department has the authority to deny such a request as the legislative authority to administer the Pysical Planning Act.
“I therefore, hereby submit the following as “material considerations” to justify the refusal of development permission for the subject development application. The former “Public Works Site” on Goodwill Road is zoned Light Industrial/Warehousing by virtue of the Potterville Housing Scheme, a Local Area Plan approved decades ago,” he said.
The letter continues, “The adjoining land use is substantially light industrial/warehousing. This zone, located in the immediate vicinity of the nation’s main commercial seaport is indispensable to economic sustainability and should therefore not be compromised by permitting incompatible land use such as hotel development within that zone.”
According to Lugay, there is a critical shortage of vacant state-owned lands suitable for development/redevelopment within the city limits in general and the commercial district of the city. Hence, he reasoned, the subject site should be kept under state ownership for public purposes in the interest of national development.
He also pointed out that the Roseau Development Plan, Strategy and Action Plan (RDPSAP) 2020 commissioned by the Government of Dominica in 2005, makes reference (per pages 150, 151 and 152: 1.11.2.9.) to “ Cruise ship Berth Expansion (Woodbridge Bay).”
He posits therefore, that approval of the subject development application would be ignoring “this important recommendation of an approved development plan under the PPA.”
“From the foregoing, it is obvious that favourable consideration of the subject development application would be inconsistent with existing approved development plans and in total violation of the Physical Planning Act 5, 2002. The Development and Planning Authority is therefore obliged to disapprove the subject development application in the public interest,” Lugay contended.
According to the Roseau North MP, should the Government insist on having the property sold, then the lot should be up for public tender as stipulated by the laws of Dominica.
He is also calling for full transparency on who the owners of the property are, the value given both by the government evaluators and private evaluators, and the price at which the property was sold.
Lugay vowed to continue to monitor the site to ensure that this property remains in the hands of the people of Dominica, and is calling on the general public to do the same.
“We saw that the place was bulldozed and it seemed that this is the new style, that even before planning permission is given, that people start bulldozing, you know,” he said. “We asking the people of Roseau and the people of Dominica, to keep an eye on public works, to see if anything further happens.”
Minister for Public Works, Cassani Laville, earlier this year, defended the government’s decision to construct a hotel at the proposed site, noting that there is a need for expansion in the city of Roseau.
Laville insisted that the new hotel will “fit perfectly” and complement the new seaport that the government has announced will be built adjacent to the site.
Laville further stated that in the new linear city, which will span from the port into the city, everything within the environment “must be appealing.”
Attached is the full copy of Lugay’s letter to the CPP.
I understand that before the PWC Garage property was sold, it was legally owned by the Public Works Corp. In several meetings with the corporation the various ministers always promised that, should the public work garage be sold, the money would be given to the corporation to build an upgraded facility. It is alleged that the PWC is yet to receive the money from the sale of the property. So, the question is who got paid for the PWC property?
There are allegations that Alick Lawrence is now the owner of the PWC garage property and he intends to built said hotel with more CBI money. May I remind all you that Alick Lawrence is yet to deliver on the CBI funded Anichi Hotel and the accompanying jobs and economic opportunities that were promised. So were is the CBI money for the Anichi? Has it disappeared as well? And he wants even more to construct another hotel that will never materialise. Dominicans please wake up! A few Dominicans are filthy rich while most of you still under tarpaulin!
What bloody hotel that allu want to build…hotel hotel hotel for what?????? Look morocann hotel cannot open….look u have kepenski hotel under occupied…look you have another waste of time money washing hotel in coconut Beach.. you still want to build more hotel??? For what!!!!!! Bloody fools…Ross gone..look at the amount of apartments that ther rottening.. boss man build a 5 story building with malls..duty free shopping..restaurant ..place to watch movie .. shopping center..market.. do that ..stop allu marge..allu just therr washing the poor people money..sacral mayshastay wicked barsstards…I doeno why allu doesn’t leave office …leave people alone man
Danny Lugay, you are a dirty little liar how comes that so-called letter was not signed by anyone other than you I can smell a rat not you this time but something isn’t right about that letter it stinks.
No, you are a dirty liar. What’s the role of your .rime Minister in all this? What’s Alick Lawrence’s role in all this? Is he perhaps the mysterious individual that either directly or through another shell company made the planning application??? There is that rat that stinks to heavens above. What a corrupt place but the net is getting tighter…
That is it IBO we all know everything you, Francisco-dog,Pipo and Jonathan against is good for Dominica.Whoever it is should build the hotel,a bunch of Dominican haters UWP blind DON keys.
The Parliamentary Representative for the Roseau North Constituency, Danny Lugay sent this letter out on the 26 Jan to the Chief Physical Planner. I am curious as to date that Hon Lugay got the reply back, was it a few days ago or some time ago, say a month, two months seems to be quite a long time for getting such reply from the Chief Physical Planner. The PM made the announcement for the site development in Aug 2019 before the elections, did Lugay make any objection to this during the campaign. He waited till Jan 26 2022 to write the Chief Physical Planner, while he goes on radio and media campaign expressing his objections.
The letter was a ‘favorable response’ well, of course, the chief planner is a bureaucrat this is a standard reply, it is not a vindication to Danny’s objection. Danny could have gotten such a reply months ago or a year ago but instead, choose to play the Political game, typical of The UWP, doing the same thing and expecting a different result.
It balffles me how Dominicans sit there and allow skerrit to have our money doing those nonesense there; you giving one man $500000 to be the sole commissioner of something so important as our electoral reforms going on for 2 to 3 years now and up to now not a word. That “spell” they put on us there not even Peter Augustine willing to take it out.
No No Xiang, you are not balffle it is just that you are brainwashed and a none imaginative ….. and that was being nice to you ok!
YOU are the brainwashed one. Why do you keep on defending the indefensible? Why do you hate your country and love this gangster in the financial centre.
And paying Loreen Bannis 2 million for keeping her mouth shut in the Syrian scandal. This despot uses our money to finance his dirty politics and corrupt practices. Worse even, nobody has got the balls to question him about it, let alone do something about it.
Please Mr Skerrit, will you bring this project to the constituency where I reside? The prospect of young people getting gainful employment through this project in the hotel and tourism industry is irresistible. You see the difference between Danny Lugay and me is that, I care about young people and want to see them better themselves, whereas, Danny Lugay and his fellow UWP mates only interested in getting into power to try and enrich themselves. They don’t care about the people who voted or did not vote for them once the election is over. They oppose any development plans proposed and implement by the governing body and once it’s up and running, they try to take credit for it.That’s politicians for you.
Oh boy Dominicans always say no to progress. Do something, anything! Anything is better that chit chat!
What, in your opinion, does the word ‘progress’ mean? Corruption, waste of state resources, investment for the benefit of ALL, nepotism…?
I believe this site should not be used a hotel the young man should be in talks with the government – I would opt for NEWTOWN – the newtown old infant school (leased) use the base – stone for aesthetics for his lobby – reinforce and build up and out towards the sea with sla water pool and fresh water pool with the kitchen on the first floor towards the sea – bar set up to take in the sunset
The public works area would be too costly for him (contamination of the soil over the years – major cleanup for years of old fuel (my dad worked there). This place should be utilized for port expansion not cruise ship berth. This is a place that the top soil should be replaced build up and not down.
The road at the back to be used for buses with bus stop. There needs to be a bridge crossing to the hospital above bowers lane (gutter – I cannot remember that area) which should be the front for the hospital main entrance – the current entrance would be the back for emergency vehicles only.
I agree that the loaction is not a suitable place/site for a hotel (Too close to the highway for a start) and reading through the comments and reports it’s all hot air and nothing possitive, so what else should be built on that site which will benefit Dominica now and the future.
In America you have hotels sitting at the entrances to the highways and byways and freeways, so what is your problem? Danny Lugay is just another ass h… playing politics and wanted the hotel built there to be his idea and nobody else’s idea. Secretly, he probably did not want the main hospital revamped in Goodwill on Federation drive. Lugay just showing off his dirty colours. He better head to the dry cleaners before it is too late. Go ahead Skerrit, build that 5 star hotel in Pottersville and just ignore Lugay. He wants some attention. Another UWP paraphernalia.
I am sure if the government had earmarked that site fir a mall or sporting facility, Luray woukd have opposed it and suggested they build a hotel in its place.
Plenty of places elsewhere for a youth center. Build the hotel. Get the DA economy going and provide the jobs the youth in that area need
at first i was skeptical about why Lugay objected, but after reading his reasoning, i believe he’s on to something. A multi floor shopping mall with many shops, both international and local would benefit the country better. more local people would have a choice to sell to the foreigners who’ve just disembarked from off the port, and many people would be hired to work there. it could include a gaming center for the gamers and young kids (arcade type), supermarkets, clothing stores, food courts, gyms, after school educational classes, movie theaters, and the list goes on. all Dominican born and owned. by the people and for the people.
Sorry to say that Danny Lugay is very naive if he thinks that the Chief Physical Planner can deny orders from the Chief of Dominica’s Kakistocracy, Roosevelt ‘I Run Things’ Skerrit.
What is most intriguing to me about this article is simply this. DNO was able to obtain an interview with the opposition member of parliament. That’s good. However, there is a multiplicity of issues plaguing the country. Mr. Skerrit alone can shed light on these and bring resolution. These include but not limited to – missing CBI $billions, unpaid millions borrowed from the state’s coffers by Crazy Coconut et al, $6m borrowed by a local hotelier, Denis Byron’s long overdue electoral reform report, long overdue replacement for ROSS U, etc. etc. ect. Even though this news outlet accepted an invitation to appear on the Annoy Parle Show, DNO has never been able to procure an one and one interview with King Skerrit to shed light on all the aforementioned issues. Interesting! Why?
I can tell you are yearning to put your hands on that CBI money. Every problem is being taken care of in the order they come and step by step. For your information, there is no missing CBI money. That was something invented by Lennox Linton to corrupt your mind. Get over it, brother.