LUCEA, Hanover – The Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) has undertaken a wide range of initiatives, aimed at beautifying and uplifting the town of Lucea under the local government’s ‘Paint The City, Paint The Town’ programme.

While the programme is yet to be officially launched in the parish, the corporation has been proactive and has commenced the cleaning and repairing of drains, repairing of National Works Agency (NWA) roads in the Lucea, the painting of the sea wall on Seaview Drive, the painting of curb walls, the painting of murals throughout Lucea depicting aspects of the Jamaican culture, the erection of a sign for the Hanover Municipal Corporation building and the creation of a small recreational park in Lucea.

Earlier this week, the Jamaica Observer West observed a team resurfacing a section of Church Street in Lucea, which has been an eyesore and headache for motorists utilising that roadway.

The road had been in a state of disrepair due to a collapsed drain and leaking National Water Commission (NWC) pipeline. The pipeline, which was leaking for approximately a month, has been repaired by the commission following the publication of a Jamaica Observer article on January 17 highlighting the matter.

“The corporation saw the need to have it (a section of Church Street) rectified considering that the NWC had done some work to some pipe there. It was in a bad state, so we decided to reinstate it,” said Andria Dehaney Grant, deputy mayor of Lucea (People’s National Party).

In relation to the drain, Dehaney Grant explained, “it caused a lot of stagnant water to settle before the church and also on the front of the [Hanover Municipal] Corporation building.”

“As part of the ‘Paint The City, Paint The Town’ programme, we decided to look into that area as well to see how best we can fix it. So, those were a part of cleaning up the town and brightening and fixing up the town,” the deputy mayor explained.

Within days the corporation is also expected to commence work aimed at covering drains on Seaview Drive in the town.

Additionally, the roadway leading from Miller’s Drive, opposite the Texaco Gas Station, through Haughton Gardens and Mosley Drive onto West Avenue, is also to be repaired.

Dehaney Grant said the hope is for motorists to utilise this roadway to alleviate the chronic traffic situation in the town.

“We are trying ways and means to alleviate the traffic in the town. So, we are hoping that when persons come here, if they don’t have to go around there (a section of the town), they just turn there and have [a] good roadway to head down to Negril,” she explained.

While it is not the first time it has been suggested that the road be used as an alternative route, Dehaney Grant is hoping that motorists will take up the offer this time around.

A recreational park has been created between the Lucea Police Station and the post office in the vicinity of Bustamante Square in the town. The park is outfitted with concrete seats and tables and provisions for Wi-Fi service and is located in the same area where a tree used by the corporation yearly as a Christmas tree, exists.

Mayor of Lucea Sheridan Samuels said the park is to be named the ‘Hanover Municipal Corporation James Lawrence Recreational Park’ in honour of James Lawrence who planted the tree approximately 30 years ago.