DeCastro trees debacle shouldn’t stop Road Town development
Cindy Rosan
Political commentator Cindy Rosan has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the DeCastro Street improvement project, arguing that concerns over the removal of mature trees should not derail long-awaited efforts to improve Road Town.
Her comments come amid public backlash over plans to remove mature trees along DeCastro Street as part of the sidewalk improvement project.
Rosan used her personal Facebook page to state that she understands the public’s attachment to the trees and criticised the government for failing to properly communicate the plans. However, she said residents must also consider whether the existing trees can coexist with safer and more accessible infrastructure over the long term.
The Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) has said roots from the existing Mahogany, White Cedar and Yellow Poui trees have damaged sections of the sidewalk and would interfere with reconstruction. Rosan said the debate should therefore go beyond whether the trees can simply be saved.
“The bigger question should be: ‘Can we save these trees AND build infrastructure that will remain safe, accessible and functional for decades?’” she argued. She noted that residents have complained for years about the condition and appearance of Road Town and said there must eventually be a transition from discussing improvements to actually carrying them out.
Gov’t should be held accountable
At the same time, Rosan backed calls for greater transparency, saying the government should release any engineering or arboricultural assessments used to determine that the trees cannot remain. She also stressed that the RDA should be held accountable for its promise to replace the trees with species that provide adequate shade and greenery without damaging the new sidewalks.
“Don’t just replace the trees. Replace them properly,” the political hopeful urged.
She said that instead of bashing the government for the tree removals, the public should ensure the project delivers promised results, including safe sidewalks for elderly residents, wheelchair users and parents with strollers while creating a more attractive capital.
Rosan concluded that environmental protection and development do not have to be opposing goals.
“We need better sidewalks. We need safer pedestrian infrastructure. We need a more accessible Road Town. And we need to start somewhere,” she said.
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Common sense prevailed
First time I hear this moo moo say something that make sense
Facts.
I’m not sure about this, it seems like a double-sided tape. This sound like something Lorna would write.
Who gives a F**K what this woman thinks?
I do!
Who is she? She seems to have a need to express a view on everything. Does she just like the sound of her own voice? Is she that attractive in real life?
No body cares about what this hater evil witch thinks she is going run dead last
She normally pulls out just before the election to save herself the embarrassment of losing so badly.
Look I was one a them arguing that district representative is signing her political death knell by removing trees at a million dollars cost when there is no water or proper road infrastructure and premier diverting money to bank of Asia and Jamaican company as though he knows who will be on the receiving end while it go down as a lost to the country, there must be a reward for natalio on these lost funds that he claimed he don’t know about, all the minutes of all ministry circulate through the premier office so you know he is lying. And he still poking us with party and travel expenses, but back to Cyndi, she brings across a cogent reasonable solution to the problem, she is a intermediary here, well done Cyndi, I will stop arguing for now because of the explanation you gave, the government should probably hire you to do their public relations dissemination. Luce is in trouble because of natalio bad record of financial accountability.
Our original grip wasn’t even saving the trees, it was expressing our concerns on the priorities of our government. There are 2 giant plots of empty space in town where the cultural center and Althea Scatliffe was, We don’t have a consistent supply of running water, Purcell still needs proper drainage, the sea cows bay road project is on hault(rumors say they are out of money) yet we find money for something so insignificant. This is just performative works to get their ratings up before election. Nothing is even wrong with the sidewalk, Look work on things that actually matter.
this place got no big trees left and you want to tear down cause your ignorant and short sighted. fools. trees took 200 yrs and th rest of our downtown is a piece of architectural sht. ask anyone. we look like ft lauderdale next to stt or grenada towns. and take the few old trees, when you dmb fks can go around and make them focal point. sorry but we cater rich tourits. spend 5 minutes seeing what high end look like rather than your own new money flash trash looks. gov buildings look like 12 yr old drew them up. yall decorate the island like a 20 yr old’s 1st apt. sad. like the cruise ships being kryptonite to rich overnight guest that actually make us money rather than one R family, they gonna stop coming, then place gets poor and crimey and cruisers stop coming next. we sell our place to the elite of the world. we got it lookin like a fkn dollar store.
Hope you were looking in the mirror when you writing your sh*t ( wiggie that is your trademark asusual -disparaging ( or flexing off yourself ,on poor cindy / she calls a spade a spade , she better looking than you ( has real hair ) , you just envious of those who’s shoes you cannot walk in / you ain’t no better than the joker who thinks he owns the third district , and if by an accident you overthrow him , then it will really be a ” hog’s city ” and it will be from bad to worSE … U will be like the dark version of Trump •
Cindy does not wear a wig so stop calling her wiggie
WOULD YOU BE KUND ENOUGH TO TAKE A WALK DOWN MAIN STREET ~ FROM THE SEVENTH DAY CHURCH AND SEE FOR YOURSELF / WE DON’T THINK THE WANNABE ELITE POLITICIANS KNOWS WHERE IT IS OR KNOWS THE HISTORY ABOUT MAIN STREET . PERHAPS YOU MIGHT TO SHED SOME LIGHT AND WHY THE REFUSE TO SHOW SOME RESPECT WHAT THEY CAME AND MEET / BEFORE DeCASTRO STREET EVER CAME INTO EXISTENCE, WHATS THE HISTORY OF De CASTRO’S STREET ? IF I MAY ASK ?
Cindy. In that area we at least have sidewalks.
To improve we should be adding. Put sidewalks andntrees where we do notnhave them withnout 700,000 dollars.
No one is trying to stop improvement.
But doing this is not improvement it takes us backwards.
If you can’t see that you are not one of the people that can take the VI forwards.
There are so many disgusting, filthy, dangerous and no or difficult sidewalk areas.
Fix those with the 700,000.
If the money goes into the project and notninto kickbacks there is olentynof mney to fix a lot of things.
Lets not tearnout what we have and also destroy mature trees.
Can we really only do foolishness here.
U need to read and comprehend / its obvious that the blogger was referring to huh ?- new to the bvi & cay who he believes is the writer of those 3 bloggs according to how those bloggs was disparaging cindy • bope you got the message – duhhHH
A mountain is being made out of a Mole Hill out of this simple tree project. Remove the trees that needs removing and replace them with trees that are not a threat to the environment(side walks). Remove the tree by the High school also, no replacement for that one. All this talk and blabb has became political because of where and who the project is coming from.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET A MAN TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING WHEN HIS SALARY DEPENDS UPON HIS NOT UNDERSTANDING IT.