“We are ecstatic!”
That was the exclamation from the Griffith family when they found out yesterday that Arawak Cement Plant was finally closing its operations and replacing it with a luxury hotel, housing development and business enterprise.
Brothers Birchmore and Ranley Griffith who live next-door to the cement plant at Malton Road, St Lucy, have been complaining for 30 years about dust raining down on them and at one point had even brought a civil lawsuit against the company.
Standing on the back porch of Birchmore’s house, which offers a fantastic view of the Maycock Beach where Arawak’s jetty is also located, the brothers said they were delighted that other people, would get the opportunity to experience the natural beauty of the area which surrounds the cement plant.
“We are ecstatic that they are going to be doing this. We always had this beautiful view before the cement plant came. We’ve been inconvenienced for years and as you would be aware, you’ve heard many stories on it, all our complaints,” Birchmore said.
“I was unable to enjoy my balcony and the view here. Even our herbs now, everything is green. I now have passion fruit and all the vegetables, okras. All my herbs now grow. I can now pick my bay leaf, do my teas and my stews and things like that. We are ecstatic that it will be happening. We really look forward to the development.”
Ranley, who drove around for years with the words “I live next to the cement plant”, imprinted in the dust on his vehicle, recalled that their father, Roy Griffith bought the land in 1976 and built the houses for each of his five children – three girls and two boys.
“He was a building contractor, so he built the homes here for each of his children. He had foresight,” Birchmore said as he explained how his father started off as a “child labourer” working on the plantation before moving up as a contractor and creating his own business.
Ranley proudly recalled how at the tender age of 23 when he started working in the designing field, his father tasked him with the job of designing all of the houses.
“He had it divided into five lots and I actually designed the houses,” he said.
Both brothers sadly recalled that before their father passed away he had brought the civil suit against the operation of the cement plant in their backyard as he was frustrated with how the dust and noise was impacting his family and he firmly believed that such an industry had no place in a residential neighbourhood.
“We spent over $30 000 fighting this in the law court,” Birchmore said.
The brothers pointed out that life had become better since Arawak stopped its grinding operation in 2023.
But they said the horror of living and breathing dust for years and being unable to keep their homes clean was something that was etched in their minds.
While their sisters were forced to move out of their homes to escape the dust and two of them have since passed away, Birchmore 76, and Ranley, 73, said they welcomed the closure of the plant and believe that some consideration should now be made to compensate them for all of the years that they were inconvenienced. (MB)
