Chill Spot Bar and Grill ordered to cease operations by Planning Board

Twenty-six employees of the restaurant and bar known as Chill Spot Bar and Grill will soon be on the breadline.

The Arnos Vale based establishment, owned and operated by Garth Lance Oliver has been given 14 days, from September 2, to cease operation.

In a letter dated August 31, the Ministry of Physical Planning said that the Physical Planning and Development Board in a meeting on August 17 did not find the reasons given by the Oliver why he could not close the business to be satisfactory.{{more}}

“As you may recall, after discovering that you were carrying out an operation at Arnos Vale without the necessary permission from the Board, you were served an Enforcement Notice on the 22nd October, 2014.

“That notice requested that you cease the operations until you sought and received planning permission. A second notice was served on you on the 29th January, 2015 for covering the area of the Rent and Drive Parking Lot with a roof, without a written grant of permission from the Board,” said the letter.

The letter also noted that a planning application was submitted by Oliver to the Physical Planning Unit on April 20, 2015 and on June 4, 2015, the Board took the decision to refuse the application for a number of reasons.

Some of the reasons stated were: the development violated the required setback from the secondary road and the eastern side boundary as stipulated in the Physical Planning and Development Board’s guidelines; the development was not compatible with the existing land use in the area, e.g. located directly along the western boundary wall of a church; and the development proposed significantly reduced valuable required parking spaces of the existing Rent and Drive development, as shown on the planning application, approved May 10, 2006.

“History of the matter shows that to date, despite the service of the enforcement notices and refusal of planning permission for the said operation, you continue to operate the development without planning permission and have failed or neglected to comply with the requirements as set out in the enforcement notices. Additionally the operation continues to create serious traffic, environment and social problems for residents and road users in the area,” said the letter sent from the Physical Planning and Development Board.

The letter added, “as a result of your failure to adhere to the enforcement notices, the board requires that you cease the grilling activity and restaurant and bar operation and remove the unauthorised structure at Chill Spot within (14) fourteen days from the service of the letter.”

The letter said that Chill Spot was in violation of the Town and Country Planning Act, Cap. 334 of the laws of SVG, revised Edition 2009.

Since the establishment of the business place, a number of persons who live in the vicinity of the restaurant have complained about the smoke and music that comes from the popular liming area. Complaints have also been made about a nearby establishment, General Hardware Supplies and Aqua Lounge, Restaurant and Bar. Reports are that the authorities have asked that Aqua Lounge, Restaurant and Bar move their operation indoors.

Rhonda Sutherland, whose home is positioned between Chill Spot Bar and Grill and General Hardware Supplies and Aqua Lounge Restaurant and Bar, has been one of the more vocal persons on the situation. Recently, she said that these businesses are spewing huge plumes of smoke from their barbecue grills, while loud music, noise from heavy machinery and cement dust have been creating a hostile environment for her and her family and a number of other residents in the area.

When contacted, Oliver did not wish to comment on the issue.

Someone with knowledge of the situation noted that apart from the 26 employees who will lose their jobs when Chill Spot closes, a number of other people, including farmers, will also lose a source of income.

Unconfirmed reports are a number of other entertainment spots in the area will soon be given warnings, as it relates to loud music in the area.(LC)