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The small western village of Armenia is about to get a whole lot bigger. That's because the government is creating a new housing subdivision called Bay Leaf Palm Estates. And today, 128 of the new residents received their land documents. And though there are no houses as yet, the Ministry of Housing has big plans for the community.
Courtney Menzies was at the ceremony today and has this story.
Today, 128 young men and women became landowners for the first time. They will soon be residents of the Bay Leaf Palm Estates - a new housing subdivision in Armenia Village.
But it's not just houses, the Minister of Housing plans to create a little community right there.
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Dev. & Housing
"We have about 128 lots, quarter acre each, but they're laid out, if you're noticing, this area is open area, reserved, and we want to make sure that it's in the law that nobody can come afterwards and try chop it up. It's passive recreation and all communities need that kind of stuff. We also have on the other side an area reserved for commerce, and schools and infrastructure so we have to bring in a substation for the police, we have to bring in, we will start with pre-primary, a health center link up with Armenia. We have to bring in commerce, shops, because you can't just have houses, you have to be able to provide other amenities."
But this project wasn't so easy to launch, since finding land in Cayo South wasn't easy, and the Minister of Natural Resources had to get involved.
Cordel Hyde, Minister of Natural Resources
"In the case of this, this was private land, we had to actually purchase the land, the minister had the vision some time ago to have us purchase some land in this area because it's a really pristine area, on a hill, I mean, it doesn't get any better, and so we purchased the land some time ago and we went about surveying it and through the minister's office, we were able to identify a lot of first time landowners who have been banging on our doors to get land."
"They are giving 75% of the 128 lots I believe to residents from this village, from Armenia, and then the balance, 25%, will be given to a combination of public officers from surrounding communities who don't have land so it's going to be a really integrated community, a really beautiful thing."
But living in Armenia - a village on the outskirts of Belmopan, isn't easy since they've long had issues with getting water running through their pipes. And that's why Minister Espat said they're going to kill two birds with one stone.
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Dev. & Housing
"I am in communication with the chairman of BEL, I am also in communication with the entire board of BWSL, if you notice, they were invited guests here too but we're doing in such a way that it won't be a hindrance for them. We are providing them with thousands of clients because we are linking it up with Armenia. Armenia has a serious water problem, BWSL provides water but they need to be paid. So we are providing them with the clientele to justify the investment."
In urban design, cities start incorporating the rural areas that surround them.
The same thing is happening in Belize City where Ladyville and Lord's Bank is starting to become a part of the city. That will happen here, this will not be a village in ten- this will be part of Belmopan.
And with four miles of road that MIDH created for the soon-to-be residents, and plans for a second phase of selecting new landowners, this little community will soon be bustling.
And according to the DPM, the government paid $500,000 to acquire the land.
