Planning Department

Overall Goals
To continue the process of establishing a planning unit equipped to allow the corporation to carry out the mandate as planning authority and the delivery of a high level of service to the community, promoting good development and resource use practices.
 
The Unit 

  1. Promotes the economic sustainability and financial viability of the Parish. 
  2. Take steps to ensure that the public adheres to all development regulations. 
  3. Facilitate the orderly development and subdivision of land. 
  4. Take steps to mitigate the effects of disasters within the Parish. 

The Planning Unit recognizes the importance of teamwork, cost-effectiveness and fiscal responsibility while supporting our community by being reliable, accessible, courteous and responsive.
 
Objectives 
The overall objective is to gain an organizational habit, which will continually and decisively clarify and articulate current and future issues relating to organizational operation and community planning.
  
Land-use and Development
Strategies:

  • Development of appropriate review processes to consider these policies for each development application
  • Parish Reconnaissance 
  • Preparation of base maps through the use of Geographic Information Systems (G.I.S.).
  • Creation of existing and proposed land use maps through the preparation of a Parish Development Plan 
  • Revisiting existing zoning legislation through the input made to the Town and Country Planning Authority in the preparation of a new development order. 
  • Monitoring for compliance 

To continue the process of preparing a land use-zoning plan for the parish so that patterns of development can be related to space capacity in infrastructure systems.

Strategies:

  1. Establishment of Forward Planning Committee for the preparation of a comprehensive zoning plan.
  2. Initiate the Preparation of proposed policies and maps.

Development Control and Enforcement 
In consultation with the Roads and Works department implement measures to improve the rate of compliance with respect to the building, planning another relevant legislation.
 
Strategies:

  1. Strengthening of staff capability. 
  2. Review of procedures for handling breaches. 
  3. Review of operational procedures. 
  4. Reproduction and update of literature on the approval process, the role and function of local authorities in the approval process, etc., 

Performance Report
Period:                       2012 – 2013
Parish:                       St. Elizabeth
Organization:              St. Elizabeth Parish Council
Department:                Planning

Projects and Initiatives executed

  • Drafting and documentation of the Greater Treasure Sustainable Development Plan (Phase I) at a cost of $21,500,000.00 to date
    • To be presented to the St. Elizabeth Parish Council and the Town and Country Planning Authority
  • Submission of Local Economic Development Plan proposal to the Sugar Transformation Unit for Additional Funding and completion of the Parish’s Sustainable Development Plan
  • Implementation of the Amanda Help Desk and furnishing of Customer Service area in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Cabinet Office.
  • Submission of Proposal of re-development of Black River Mini Park to the Tourism Enhancement Fund at a cost of approximately $4,000,000.00
    • Approval has been granted
    • Council now awaits a formal response of the Tourism Enhancement Fund Board.
  • Twinning arrangement with the City of Hamilton, Bermuda and the Town of Black River, St. Elizabeth as new counterparts to engage in cultural, educational, heritage, and sports exchanges.
  • Learning exchange program established with JICA (Japanese International Corporation Agency) and Projects Abroad, Jamaica
  • Acquisition of Large format plotter and GPS units to complement GIS capabilities 

Upcoming initiatives - 2013 / 2014

  • Employment of a Physical Planner
  • Acquisition of JICA Volunteers to support Administrative, Planning and Roads and Works Departments respectively
  • Introduction of a Parking Management System for three Major Towns
  • Documentation and Presentation of Council’s Corporate Plan
  • Restoration and expansion of Holland bamboo Travel Hault
    • This will involve the relocation of vendors to this central point
  • Introduction of GIS to help inform planning decisions in the existing approval processDevelopment Application Management and Processing
  • Received approximately 258 Building applications and approved 225
    • Revenue generated – $9,374,384.88
  • Received eighty five (85) subdivision applications and approved nine (9)
    • Revenue generated - $2,530,455.50
  • One hundred (100) Percent input level for subdivision applications in AMANDA
  • Ninety eight percent (98) percent input level for building applications in AMANDA

 

STAFF TITLE
Quijano Grant Director of Planning
  Senior Secretary
  Planning Co-ordinator
  Physical Planner
  Data Entry Clerk