Crowne Plaza Hotel issue heats up

Karl Samuda

LEADER OF Opposition Business in the House of Representative, Karl Samuda, wants the US Government to be prohibited from using the Crowne Plaza Hotel for its consular services.

In a Private Member's Motion, tabled in Parliament, Mr. Samuda said if the US Embassy buys the hotel, it should not be allowed to use it for visa services, which are currently conducted at the US Consulate, Oxford Road, Kingston.

In addition, he is requesting that before the sale is finalised, the Minister of Land and the Environment, Seymour Mull-ings, should table a copy of the agreement in the House.

Mr. Samuda's resolution pointed out that in a recent meeting between Mr. Mullings and residents of the area, the residents objected to the relocation of the visa operations there.

He said that the objection was twofold: - the existing infrastructure of inadequate roads to accommodate the existing, let alone, the anticipated increase in vehicular and pedestrian traffic and the anticipated increase in commercial activity in a highly residential area.

According to Mr. Samuda, who is Member of Parliament for the area, the residents are against the siting of the visa processing services there.

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