AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye San Pedro Mayor speaks on the town's overcrowding

The homes in that devastated section of Boca Del Rio may have been built a little too close for building regulations. However, Mayor Daniel Guerrero said the overcrowded situation in certain areas of the island is a contributing factor in the magnitude of the damages.

Daniel Guerrero Mayor of San Pedro: There was no planning when San Pedro was growing and thats the real problem that we face. That in one lot you have five houses. People will build little houses just to rent. It's a rent issue that we are facing and it is not actually helping the industry but definitely we and its coincidence I guess because yesterday morning we had a meeting with the building unit and the Fire Chief was there Mr. Buttnor and actually we were talking about this same issue that the houses are to close so they decided that from now on any house lot. One house and that's it so to make sure that you have cross air ventilation and you have your proper setbacks in case of a fire the fire men can go in and you know make things easier but right now as we speak there are some houses wall to wall and too many room rentals going on the area and its a negative part of the growth that we are facing but its something that was there so we just have to now purge it out from the system. We have to tell people now; we have to educate the general public that when it comes to building any structure you have to apply to the town council. You need to understand that its for your own safety. Its people safety I mean right now at the San Matteo, you go to San Pedrito, you go to the main downtown core there are houses that are probably I would say a foot from each other and this is something we inherited so we have to stick to more of a better planning for the future.

Mayor Guerrero said the Council has been working to assist the affected families.

LOVEFM

This is called locking the barn door after the horses and cattle are stolen!

There is definitely a need for better building regulations. Misplaced priorities are a bigger problem. Wanting more building and more people coming to the island when the island lacks the basic infrastructure to provide for the current population is a far bigger problem. Police and fire protection are a basic need that is lacking, let alone water, electricity. Sewer, garbage and roads to handle traffic.

The Building Regulations are a joke. We had a single storey concrete building go up in front of our restaurant. When it was finished it was 2 stories high then they built a house on top. There was no parking in front and if you look the stairs into the building are in the road. This is just one example there are hundreds out there. There is a 5 foot limit on the sides and rear and 10 foot in front of the property lines, believe it or not.