THE PORTMORE MUNICIPAL Council is reporting success in its Better Neighbourhood Development and beautification programme launched in 2005.
The project is aimed at improving the aesthetic and environmental conditions within the municipality.
Mayor of Portmore George Lee said during last year, the council embarked on the creation of some eight parks and the beautification and landscaping of areas next to sidewalk reservations and roundabouts.
So far, he said, seven parks, including green and recreational areas, were established under the programme. The municipal parks established are the Josh Morgan Municipal Park at Patricia Avenue, Edgewater; West Aintree Municipal Park, 7 West, Greater Portmore; and the Tuna Avenue Park in Braeton, Phase 2.
In addition, he informed, the Edgewater and Southboro roundabouts were beautified and landscaped, while the council was landscaping the Bridgeview roundabout and the Braeton Parkway. Three roundabouts in Cumberland, Greater Portmore and Braeton were in various stages of completion, he said.
"For the rest of this year, we intend to build another eight community parks in Portmore. In fact, during Portmore Week towards the end of April, we are going to have a better neighbourhood competition through which we will judge neighbourhoods on their cleanliness, environmental awareness and beautification," Mayor Lee said.
RESTORING COMMUNITIES
He explained that the beautification programme was intended to build "better and environmentally aware" communities and encourage community participation and involvement at all levels.
"We have to try to restore our communities. It is about community revival and people getting involved in communities and this will be a major emphasis during the course of this year," the mayor said.
The beautification programme is being partly funded by revenue collected from property taxes and sponsorship from the private sector. Mayor Lee informed that Super Plus Food Stores had contributed some $1 million towards the beautification of Braeton Parkway, while contributions for the Edgewater and Naggo Head roundabouts came from Red Stripe and Jamaica Beverages Limited, respectively. He added that the Port Henderson roundabout in Bayside was being done by the Rotary Club.
"We are in touch with two other companies now that are planning to do something from Waterford to Mega Mart wholesale, so we are having some success and we are calling on more organisations and businesses to come forward to assist us with this programme," Mayor Lee said.
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