Crawford wants Palisadoes Area to be First Entertainment Zone

The Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment is currently in discussion with the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and the National Environmental and Planning Agency (NEPA) to utilize the Palisadoes area as Jamaica’s first Entertainment Zone.

“This will be a pilot project that, if it works well, will be replicated in other parts of the island,” State Minister, Hon. Damion Crawford said.

He was making his contribution to the 2014/15 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, June 10.

Mr. Crawford noted that the Palisadoes area has been zoned by NEPA for Entertainment, Heritage and Conservation as well as Recreational use, which includes Fort Rocky, an area designated completely for Entertainment.

“We also plan to retrofit the UDC and Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) owned parking lots in downtown Kingston, using temporary fencing, to accommodate a growing number of entertainment events on the Kingston waterfront,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Mr. Crawford informed that the Ministry is working towards the improvement of the Noise Abatement Act.  He noted that even though the Act seeks to reduce night noise as a nuisance, the enforcement and the implementation of the legislation “is one of our greatest examples of social prejudice.”

“It applies in the main only to small events as I have never seen it applied to Sumfest, Sting, Carnival, Jazz and Blues or any other large event with connected promoters,” he said.

The State Minister pointed out that outside of Kingston and St. Andrew events are being moved to areas which are out of earshot, to places which are inhabited by only ‘peenie wallies’.

“Yet we have a law so universal that these events outside of earshot are being affected.  Equally, even within the more densely populated residential areas, there exist communities that depend on events for economic gain and therefore are in agreement with them being held. Yet again there exists a law that is so universal that these communities are adversely affected as they are prevented from holding such events, even though the majority of the residents are in agreement,” Mr. Crawford said.