Tonight there is a dispute in Queen’s Square over land and it involves the government and a church. The parcel is on Boot’s Crescent and it is supposed to be for government but two weeks ago Hand in Hand Ministries began building a fence around it. The problem is that the land had already been surveyed into six house lots. Keith Swift has the story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This is one of the survey pegs that workers pulled out when they began building a fence on this parcel of land next to the Sr. John’s Vianney Primary School on Boots Crescent. It is less than an acre but its government land.
The disputed parcel of land was part of a five acre parcel distributed in 1992. This was the deal: the Catholic Church got two acres and government would take the remaining two. But according to government, they took more than 2 acres and that’s why government decided to subdivide the remaining portion into six lots.
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez, Minister of Works
“Hand in Hand says that the school has given them a thirty or twenty five year lease to construct some building up here but after the fact that government has already surveyed the land for six lots for residents in Queen’s Square. This is not school property as far as we know and it should have been two acres
of land as the agreement stipulates. If you notice we have less than an acre here that will be given to the people.
The two acres belongs to government based on the agreement made by the church and the government. Government will fill four acres of land and I have to be real, these lands are eight in terms of swamp and water and government filled 4 acres of and the church will give up two to government the next two is for the school.”
And that’s why Boots Martinez was shocked – appalled even when workers for hand in hand began erecting the fence.
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez,
“I am the longest resident around here, from 1982 and this is Boots’ Crescent, they named it off of me because I am the longest resident here. So I can talk from a physical standpoint and tell you everything that happened from then until now. I was appalled to know that the survey pegs were in and I have no problem and have no quarrel with the church, I am a Catholic. If you can recall I have always supported this school apart from that and I am the person who presented that building that was built in the Port Loyola budget at the time under the previous administration so I support wholeheartedly the school but I also support the rights of people.”
Boots says that government will go ahead and subdivide the remaining land into six lots.
Hon. Anthony Boots Martinez,
“Survey pegs were out here and they root out the survey pegs to clear way for the thing. As far as we know, the six lots will stay for the residents of Queen’s Square. We need to look and I think that the school, the church, everybody, Hand in Hands they represent people and they represent God and all of us have a social conscience and also as politicians so I think rightfully that the little small people should get whatsoever is rightful benefit from the government.”
The City Council issued a stop order to Hand in Hand Ministries on June 26th because it had no building permit.
This evening we spoke to Hand in Hand’s Director Abel Vargas who expressed his dismay at the developments. He says that they have already invested some of their limited resources into erecting the foundation for the fence. He says they plan to appeal to the Prime Minister. And in this regard we should note that though Boots Martinez is speaking out – the land is actually now in queen’s square which is the Prime Minister’s division. Hand in Hand was building a multi-purpose center.
We were unable to get comment from the Catholic Church and more so from Bishop Dorick Wright. When the agreement was made in 1992 - he was Vicar General and represented the church at the meeting. We should note that prior to that, the land was fully owned by the Catholic Church.
