Dianira Rivera
Talks Commence on Revitalization of Downtown Area and Boca del Rio
Business owners gathered at the San Pedro Town Council's conference room on Tuesday November 29, 2016, as the municipality held consultation for a beautification project for the island designated from downtown San Pedro to Boca del Rio.
Business owners were given a couple minutes to come up with ideas of their own on how they could go about doing this. They were then given the time to explain their ideas to everyone.
A few ideas thrown into the discussion included:
- Reduction of traffic by ceasing the issuing of permits to golf cart rentals and allowing only residents to receive golf cart permits
- Not allowing any vehicles to park on the beach. A parking lot to be made for residents and tourist to park safely and walk to the beach
- Remove taxi parking on front street
- Pave the back street behind the police station
- Plant trees and fix the park for the children
- Enhance and segregate public toilets in the park
- Banners are to be removed after 24 hours of an event. Political parties inclusive
- Public transportations for kids to get to and from school in order to reduce the amount of traffic
However, the San Pedro Town Council also seeks the voice and opinions of the general public. Therefore, a community consultation will be held on Thursday, December 1, 2016, where everybody is invited to listen and make suggestions on how to beautify our Isla Bonita and make it a better and more pleasant place to live. Everyone's opinion counts and can hopefully make a difference.
Click here to read the rest of the article and see more photos in The Ambergris Today
SPTC holds consultation on revitalization of downtown area and Boca del Rio
In an effort to make La Isla Bonita a safer and more attractive island, the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) hosted a consultation on Tuesday, November 29th to discuss the revitalization of the downtown and Boca del Rio Areas. Members of the San Pedro Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA), among several other business and tourism stakeholders gathered at the SPTC's Conference Room to give the SPTC feedback and strategic recommendations to consider when finalizing their completed plan.
Thanks to the Ministry of Local Government, Caribbean Local Economic Development Project (CARILED), and the Mayor's Association, SPTC has secured their revitalization expert, Jason Fox, who is a native of Nova Scotia, Canada. Fox split the gathering into groups and issued geographical maps of Ambergris Caye to each table. The purpose of the activity was for each group to discuss the key challenges San Pedro Town faces, while brainstorming methods and recommendations that will help alleviate traffic congestion, as well as ideas that will revamp the aesthetics of the island.
According to Aldana, while traffic congestion poses a major challenge, it is not impossible to tackle effectively. As such, the SPTC is planning to prepare for those times ahead. "It requires a wholesome effort to address these issues that have come with growth and demand on the island. San Pedro will continue to grow, and so will the other issues. So before we get to a stage that we cannot control, we want to address them now that we have the opportunity," said Aldana.
An interactive consultation will be open for the general public on Thursday, December 1st at the San Pedro Lions Den. Starting at 7PM, the SPTC will present various options and suggestions that were given by the business and tourism stakeholders to the community members and visitors. The audience will also be made aware of long-term mitigation plans, and will have the opportunity to share ideas and give feedback to the SPTC, hoping to merge them for the betterment of La Isla Bonita.
Click here to read the rest of the article and see more photos in the San Pedro Sun