Housing developers’ response to Mr. Persaud

Jan 22, 2012 Letters

Dear Editor,
This is in response to a letter (Friday, January, 20, 2012) captioned “Review this Housing Programme” by Mr. Rajendra Persaud. The Developers of Sarvanand’s Spring Garden do not have a housing programme but a “Housing Development Project” at no. 75, Spring Garden, Corriverton, Berbice. By this we are developing a plot of land, 7.2 acres, approximately 300 meters after the Corriverton Arch entering the Town for the purpose of sale for housing. Mr. Persaud took issue with our television programme to promote the project saying we were misleading the public and we obtained our permissions without following the correct procedure.
Specifics
Mr. Persaud had never asked permission to visit our project site and no worker had ever noticed any trespassers on the project site around the time mentioned. The decent thing was to contact the developers of the project as per telephone numbers given in the promotion programme and arrange for any queries to be answered and all documentation provided if so needed.  These numbers are 611-4775 and 621-1744. However, for the sake of replying to his allegations I will give him the benefit of doubt.
1. Mr. Persaud: “the lots need massive developmental works (filling)”.
Reply: We carried out a ground survey in May, 2011 of the plot to determine the profile and elevation of the land relative to neighboring lots, public infrastructure, mean high tide and rain fall in the area and found that even if we had only cleaned the drains leading out to the nearby GuySuCo drainage pump station then this would have been adequate for flood control. Notwithstanding the above we have imported, spread and compacted more than 16,000 cubic yards of reef sand to the plot. This can be proven by contacting the sand supplier, Mr. Presley Drepaul, (Rambo) et al. No. 643-6003; the surrounding neighbors; our internal records and the more obvious, a casual inspection of the site. This amount of sand fill translated into a new mean elevation of approximately 14 inches higher than the original ground level. It is by far higher than the elevations of the contiguous lots as well as the two nearby new housing schemes.
2. Mr. Persaud: “The drains on the northern and southern side of the access way are too small…”
Reply: We have studied the following variables and arrived at a calculation for the drains: length of land 1,400 ft, width of land 229 ft by two drains, mean and maximum rainfall in Skeldon, current drainage and their holding capacity within and around the location, a maximum of 26 homes averaging families of 5 persons each with 100% water use by at least 4 members per family simultaneously  and we have even input for a factor of safety for drainage designs for similar projects and came up with our design of 2 ft wide X 2 ft deep with a gradient of 1 inch in 312.5 ft. Our drain invert is also 1.5 ft above the receiving public road drain and is less than 500 meters from the main drainage pump station. Historical records from 1975 onwards have indicated no flood since in the area.
3. Mr. Persaud: “The access is far from completed”.
Reply:  at the time of our promotion programme in Dec, 2011 we never gave the impression this is completed. At the time 87% of the works in our Development plan submitted for approval was completed and to date it is 91.8% completed. We are well on our way in completing the whole of the project by the end of February, 2011 on a worst case scenario.
4. Mr. Persaud: “No palls are available to determine the size of the lots”.
Reply: the lots were surveyed and palled by Mr. Seaon M. James dated 10th October, 2011 measuring 48 ft wide X 91 ft. 10 ins. long. Mr. James can be contacted on tel. no. 688-2280 for verification. The palls are intact except for a few which may have been displaced by heavy machinery working on the project. This will be corrected soon as per agreement with Mr. James.
To date we have completed sand fill to the entire plot, water lines are installed,  pressure tested and approved by GWI, electrical posts and lines are installed but we are awaiting connection to GPL, road culvert crossing completed, Concrete drains to road and lots completed, all sub base layers to road completed, reinforced concrete surface is 64% completed. The rest of the concrete surface will be completed soon signaling the end of the project infrastructure development phase as per plan submitted to the Board of Health and Ministry of Housing for their approval.
We believe that our project compares more favourable than many of the other similar projects across the country.  So what is Mr. Rajendra Persaud up to? A prominent member of the community does not want a housing scheme in the area and has tried to influence several organizations against approving the project. He went so far as to personally use his authority to instruct a member who is his close friend and has significant authority at the local level to object to the project for a reason he made up to delay and or stop the project causing two months  laps in the project schedule. As if not enough, he instructed his lawyers to write to at least three layers of organizations responsible for several aspect  of this project,  objecting to the development under a frivolous ground that holds no water in law or even mores or morals. Mr. Rajendra Persaud, if he does exist is the pen for the hands of the prominent community member and his puppet local man who claims to understand how the Board of Health must execute its mandate.
The procedure for developing this project was faithfully followed and executed in the most professional manner. All relevant documentation was followed, and no part of the construction was done before the relevant documentation and approvals were uplifted. The project will be completed soon.
Sarvanand Jagdeep Persaud,
Project Developer