THE smouldering controversy over the construction of a building by Councillor Dennis Gordon (People’s National Party, Maxfield Division) took another twist on Saturday when he announced his withdrawal from the Building and Town Planning Committee of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC).

Additionally, Gordon said he is relinquishing chairmanship of the KSAMC’s Finance Committee with immediate effect.

Noting that the matter is being investigated by the KSAMC, Gordon said in a statement that he made the decision “in recognition of and support for the efforts of the current administration of the KSAMC to strengthen governance procedures”.

Gordon also said his company “has taken the required steps to regularise the status of the development”, and that he remains “fully committed to upholding and supporting the principles of transparency, accountability and good governance in the administration of the KSAMC”.

The matter came to public attention two weeks ago when Nationwide News reported that a law enforcement agency has launched an investigation into reports that Gordon’s JACDEN business complex at 18 ½ Lyndhurst Road in St Andrew “was erected this year without the relevant permit from the KSAMC”.

It was subsequently disclosed that the law enforcement agency was the Integrity Commission.

Responding to the report, Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby issued a statement on December 24, 2024 saying that he had immediately requested a detailed report on the issue, adding that the facts had only come to his attention through the report he ordered.

“The report outlines the following key events regarding the development at 18 ½ Lyndhurst Road:

• April 21, 2023: JACDEN submitted an application seeking permission for the partial demolition, renovation, and construction of a two-storey building intended for office and warehouse use.

• April 25, 2023: The application was assigned to the building officer responsible for the zone where the building is located.

• May 5, 2023: The application was referred to the Jamaica Fire Brigade and the Town and Country Planning Authority.

• June 20, 2023: The building officer completed an initial assessment of the application.

• August 3, 2023: The Jamaica Fire Brigade responded to the application, requesting amendments.

• September 29, 2023: The director of planning visited the site and discovered that the structure under construction was a three-storey building, exceeding the two storeys specified in the application.

• October 9, 2023: The Town and Country Planning Authority responded to the application, also requesting amendments.

• October 17, 2023: The discrepancy of the plans was officially documented in the file.

• November 10, 2023: A ‘cease work’ notice was served on the owner/occupier.”

Swaby also said “several key requirements were subsequently imposed on the applicant to regularise the development [as built measure]. These included submitting updated drawings that accurately reflect the actual construction, paying as-built fees equivalent to one per cent of the bill quantities prepared by a registered quantity surveyor [the maximum fee allowed by law for breaches], and providing a professional engineer’s report to confirm structural integrity.”

He said that on April 30, 2024, the applicant had complied with all these requirements.

Additionally, the mayor said that the relevant agencies, including the Jamaica Fire Brigade and the National Works Agency, reviewed the updated documents, “and each recommended for approval in December 2024”.

“On December 10, 2024, the chief engineering officer recommended the application for building approval, and it was referred to the Planning Department on December 17, 2024, for its consideration, after which it will be presented to the Building and Planning Committee for consideration,” the mayor said, adding that in light of the Integrity Commission’s investigation he will reserve further comments on the matter until the publication of the commission’s report.

On October 25, 2024, Gordon hosted a soft launch of his JACDEN Group of Companies inside the building which bears his name and houses a new medical facility.

JACDEN Group of Companies, which started in 2008, offers a wide variety of services ranging from janitorial to project management and trading services alongside providing pharmaceutical and medical supplies for hospitals across Jamaica and the Caribbean.

SWABY… the facts had only come to his attention through the report he ordered

GORDON… my company has taken the required steps to regularise the status of the development