The Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation, KSAMC, has confirmed that a breach was detected at a property owned by councillor for the Maxfield Division, the People's National Party's, PNP, Dennis Gordon.
The confirmation follows Nationwide's reporting on the property located at 18 1/2 Lyndhurst Road in St. Andrew. Our news centre had reported that the building was erected without the relevant permit from the local authority.
In a statement to the media, Mayor of Kingston, Andrew Swaby, says he instructed that an investigation be carried out following reports in the media. The report concluded that the councillor's company, JACDEN, applied for permission to construct a two-storey building at the mentioned address in April 2023.
Gordon is a principal of JACDEN.
The building was to be used for warehouse and office space.
In September 2023, checks by the KSAMC's officers found that a three-storey building was being constructed, in violation of the two-storeys specified in the initial application. At no time does the KSAMC's statement indicate that a permit was issued.
A cease work notice was served on the owners of the building in November last year. The KSAMC then imposed what it says were key requirements to regularise the three-storey construction by way of an as built application.
The renewed application is now awaiting approval from the KSAMC.
The Integrity Commission is investigating the matter.