Falmouth to get $32-million facelift
Published:Thursday | July 23, 2020 | 12:32 AMLeon Jackson/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
The resort town of Falmouth in Trelawny is poised to benefit from a $32-million project aimed at giving a much-needed facelift to the seaside town, which has become a popular cruise-shipping destination.
The announcement was made by the town’s mayor, Collen Gager, at last Thursday’s monthly meeting of the Trelawny Municipal Corporation, of which he is chairman.
“Included in this project is sanitisation of the town, landscaping, debushing, drain-cleaning, and desilting, which is expected to cost $27 million,” Gager said. “The other $5 million is to build 10 new bus sheds to replace those which have become unsightly along the North Coast Highway.”
The mayor further disclosed that the corporation is expecting to recoup the monies spent on the bus sheds by offering advertising space.
Gager also announced that the dragline – an open trench which runs from east to west, leading water from inside the town to the sea – is set to receive special attention.
“Presently, some sections of it are overgrown with trees, and it acts as a receptacle for garbage, so we are going to address that problem,” he said.
Following the meeting, Dion Hylton-Lewis, the officer in charge of disaster preparedness for the Trelawny Municipal Corporation, said that adequate emergency shelters have been identified in the event of a hit during the hurricane season.
“There has been an increase in the number of shelters. The number now stands at 43. Along with that, we have links with some churches to make their buildings available if it becomes necessary,” said Hylton-Lewis.
Roland Walters, deputy superintendent of the Trelawny Fire Department, said that his team was also prepared for the season.
“Our two trucks are in working order. The ambulance is ready. A number of our men have been exposed to swift- and still-water rescue training, so we are ready should there be any flooding.”
Despite the general optimism, environmentalist Roland Haye, who is knowledgeable about the town’s drainage system, believes there is more work to be done.