No Building Permit for Small Business Owner in Dangriga
Since 2009, senior appliance technician Orlando Castillo has submitted a number of architectural plans for approval to the Local Building Authority in Dangriga. On each occasion those designs have been rejected for failure to satisfy specific requirements that would allow him to erect a structure on Ecumenical Drive. Yet Castillo has been persistent in his attempt to expand his small business which includes repairing household appliances such as washing machines and dryers. He has also been using the same draftsman, to no avail. On Tuesday, he contacted News Five to share his grievance with the Local Building Authority.
Orlando Castillo
Orlando Castillo, Appliance Technician
“I have been, for many years, making submissions after submissions to the Local Building Authority even before now. I would say for at least twelve years I’ve been trying to put up a building here for my workshop with a show window on the front to expand my business, to increase my income and I’ve been frustrated all along with the Local Building Authority and CBA demanding so much to be done.”
Isani Cayetano
“How many times have you submitted your plan to the Local Building Authority and explain to us have been their reasons in the past for rejecting the plan?”
Orlando Castillo
“I have not gotten any reason in writing until just last week Thursday. So all those years before, I submitted a plan even when there was a committee. I think, I don’t know if it was a committee of five or seven. There was a committee and a chairman in Dangriga at one point. One of the main things is that they are now asking for a signature on this particular plan of an engineer and an architect which entails, again, finding the money to pay for that. I don’t know that any architect nor engineer may want to put a signature onto a plan that they have not drawn, and that is among eleven other things that they are asking for.”
Isani Cayetano
“You’ve had several plans drafted, are you using the same architect for all the plans or are using different people at every turn?”
Orlando Castillo
“I’m using the same person because that person has the original foundation plan and everything.”
Isani Cayetano
“Could it be then, that perhaps it’s something that that architect may be overlooking as to why now they are constantly rejecting the applications?”
Orlando Castillo
“It could be, but listen to this, I am going with what I can afford.”
