Tanishia Stuart?has found herself literally between a rock and a hard place.
The 28-year-old woman was expecting to finally begin construction of her first home, but a new requirement by the Town and Country Planning Department (T&CPD)?that a geotechnical investigation be done on the land before she can start building has left her fearing that her dream may not materialize.
The situation is that Stuart resides at Valerie, Brittons Hill, St Michael, and that area has been determined to be located in Zone 2 of what is called the Greater Brittons Hill Area Geological Hazard Map.
As a result, anyone undertaking construction of any kind must first have a geotechnical investigation done on the land and submitted to the T&CPD for approval.
Stuart, who has been living at Valerie for the past seven years on a family plot shared with her grandmother, said she only discovered this requirement last December after submitting plans to the T&CPD for construction of a two-bedroom wooden house.
She explained that T&CPD wrote her last November saying that a geotechnical study had to be done and giving her three months to comply.
On seeking clarification, she was referred to Government’s Geological Department, where an officer explained the requirements and the particulars of the geotechnical investigation.
She also received a letter that explained that the geological hazard map was drafted as part of the Government-commissioned geotechnical study of the Arch Cot Terrace and Brittons Hill communities.
The letter further explained that the properties located within Zone 2 were described as “having an intermediate probability for significant geological failure and a significant potential for karst development”.
Stuart said she was also informed that the investigations should be performed by a qualified expert and should include the inspection of walls and bases of all existing suck wells, an inspection of any existing structures and either drilling of boreholes below the proposed structure to a minimum of 12 feet or a geophysical survey.
She discovered that the work could cost her between $8 000 and $60 000, depending on what needed to be done.
The young woman said that financial challenge had seemingly destroyed her plans to construct the house out of pocket at an estimated $50 000 and in phases as her finances permitted.
“I am a single mother with one child and I never anticipated this additional expense,” she cried.
“In order for boreholes to be drilled I was informed that I?would have to remove this house where I?am living. I?have nowhere to go and it does not make sense paying rent when I need that money to build my house.”
The woman said she spoke with some of her neighbours and none of them were aware of this new requirement.
She questioned why she would have to undertake the geotechnical study when Government was constructing a five-storey housing unit four houses away from where she lived.
“I?am building a small two-bedroom house with a wooden floor. The only foundation being dug is for the bathroom so I?cannot understand how Government has been given approval to build a five-storey complex in this area after they had the test done and why would us residents who live in such close proximity to that building also have to have the test done too,” she argued.
Pointing out that her grandmother had bought the land from Government in 1991, she wrote: “Going forward, whose responsibility is it to have such a test done – the person who is purchasing the land or the person who is selling the land?”
A geotechnical engineer who was aware of this situation said hewould be able to assist Stuart with the minimum requirements for the geotechnical investigation. He said he may be able to contain her cost to approximately $5 000.
