Email

Print

Today the Belize City Council along with the Police Department, National Fire Service, NEMO and Human Services Department met to launch a new project. The agencies have joined together in an effort to get rid of the City's derelict buildings, or the structures that pose risks to public safety, health and natural disaster relief efforts. We spoke to the man spearheading the project, City Councillor Phillip Willoughby, for more...

Phillip Willoughby - Belize City Councillor
"All of us at the table have discussed 3 important issues that are of high importance where it concerns: 1) abandoned and derelict buildings, derelict vehicles and overgrown lots. The residence and the community has also spurred the talks for us to be more proactive for the city to lead the charge in relation to the said undertaking. So on my part along with NEMO, it is how well and best we prepare the city as the we mitigate against these derelict buildings that may be deemed dangerous in times of disaster and we have to mitigate better to protect life and preserve property, maybe not the owner property that is or the owner of the structure that is deemed abandoned or derelict but to secure persons within the vicinity or the proximity where these structures are. So, it is of great importance for us to look after the residence and safeguard their wellbeing. The 2nd aspect is the aspect of lot cleaning. The sanitation manager along with the director of courts, Ms. Mckenzie will be coordinating with the prison, for us to deal with the prisoners to clean these overgrown lots. Thirdly, the police department will be collaborating with us to deal with the removal of derelict vehicles. While we have all the stakeholders at the table, because unilaterally we don't want the city council to come off like, you know what we have an issue with any particular building or structure. We want all the agencies to come in join in with us, they have done so. They have signed off on the move to be proactive with these issues at hand."

The first derelict building was planned for demolition today, but after some confusion with the owner of property, all works had to be delayed. Apparently there was some miscommunication about exactly what part of the structure was supposed to come down. According to the court ruling, the Eastern part of the building was to be demolished, but there seemed to be conflicting views about what exactly that meant. Willoughby cleared things up for us, and explained the next step in moving forward.

Phillip Willoughby - Belize City Councillor
"This particular structure has been before the courts already. The magistrate did adjudicate on it, but the outcome of the case for us we feel as if it wasn't clear cut. The order states that most eastern portion of the building should be demolished. There is no definition as in length, width or height as such. What we will do again is to go back before the court and have a look at the structure in this particular case that even if we demolish the first 5ft of the structure you will note that the upper flat will also be compromised and will fall likewise. Then it goes beyond that point that the remaining portion of the structure will be compromised. So that is what we now go back to explain to the court in relation to this matter. What we did explain to her is, and she knows this, because she went to court for the building already, that the court in its ruling made the decision to take down the most eastern portion. If we take down just the eastern portion, we undermined the top structure and then we have the remaining structure exposed. The remaining structure is still compromised, so what do we do then? Who takes responsibility for that? I am saying as the elected representative for the city - I have to be concerned for all the people in the area. It has to be a concern for all of us."

Reporter
"Have you ever considered that it fell down from the start? Because all the information that you now seek to share with the court go back and share, that should have been shared from the start. So we wouldn't even be here, we would've been demolishing the structure."

Phillip Willoughby - Belize City Councillor
"Well in hindsight and its 20/20, I am glad that we have this opportunity to look at our short comings and try to rectify and correct is almost immediately and do what needs to be done in relation to the law. We want to act and operate within the law."

34 buildings, 12 lots and 16 vehicles have been identified as hazards by the committee, and work is being done to ensure that they can be safely removed or demolished from their communities.