A gate and fence at the IMEX International complex on Leopold Street are to be demolished today, according to the City Council, but the owner of the building is contending that the demolition will be illegal because he is in possession of documents which granted permission for the construction.
Acting City Council Public Relations Officer (PRO) Debra Lewis said the steel gate and fence with a solid concrete foundation were unlawfully erected on a reserve that was intended for a drain.
A 24-hour notice given to John Ganesh, owner of the building, would have expired and as a result the demolition will begin today, she added.
Lewis noted that the action to remove the gate and fence is not an attack on IMEX but rather the Council is seeking to reclaim all the alleyways which are encumbered by residences and businesses in the city. Other locations throughout the city will also be looked at and all the unlawful constructions will be addressed, Lewis said.
“Is all kind of things happening in the city and is a lot of work we have to do… it is a general approach which the municipality is taking,” Lewis stated.
However, documents which were shown to Stabroek News indicated that Ganesh was given permission to do some amount of construction under certain conditions.
A letter, dated December 15th, 2010, and signed by then City Engineer Gregory Erskine, acknowledged a receipt of application to pave the inner and outer parapet and to cover the alleyway drain with a removable grill cover at the Lot 34, High and Leopold Street property.
In granting permission to Ganesh, Erskine directed that the area above the water and sewerage main be covered using removable concrete slabs, wooden planks, steel plates or steel bar grills.
In addition, he directed that the paved area on the parapet must be graded to direct run- off water from the road into the street drain. Further, he said no water pipe should be covered with concrete unless the pipe is encased in a large diameter pipe.
The conditions for granting permission also included that the Council retains all rights and privileges over the reserve and is not held liable for the paying of compensation in the event that the reserve is required for its use. It was also stated that the permission may be rescinded at short notice from the City Engineer.
The businessman said that none of the conditions for permission was breached and as a result he is alarmed at the sudden notice for the demolition and the claiming that the construction was illegal.
Ganesh said that he received the notice from the Council at about 4PM on Wednesday. He added that he visited the Council and presented the documents to the City Engineer yesterday and the official promised to look into the matter.
