Reporter
leeanna.maharaj@guardian.co.tt
Former T&T track and field athlete and this country’s first Olympic gold medallist, Hasely Crawford, has raised noise pollution and nuisance concerns about the Soca Brainwash fete to be hosted today at St Mary’s College Grounds, which is just metres away from his St Clair Noting that he suffered undue stress during when St Mary’s College (CIC) hosted their Fete with the Saints at the same venue on January 24th, Crawford said he feared the same today.
“My house will be just shaking. So I will go to my room, lock it up, and hope that I can survive,” Crawford shared with Guardian Media yesterday.
Having been a resident in the St Clair community for over 20 years, Crawford said he is frustrated with the constant noise coming from various events throughout the year.
“During the year, from here on to around Easter, just about every weekend there’s some kind of activity or sport, and the young sound system people jam very, very loud,” Crawford said.
From Crawford’s balcony, the grounds are clearly visible, as if he has a VIP seat, except he never asked for it.
“You know what’s amazing? They put the toilets in front of my house. Well, at least where I can see it. Around 5 or 6 o’clock, when people are kind of high, some of the people pee just like that. They stand up and do their business. It’s madness. And no one’s coming to take a look. I’m tired. I’m fed up,” he added.
Crawford was not the only resident complaining. One of his neighbours told Guardian Media that while he understands the event was a major revenue opportunity for the school, he wishes the organisers would give the residents more consideration.
“The noise during the setup, during the event, and right after the event, as they dismantle, means that I can’t even hear my television if I turn it all the way up and close up the air-conditioned room. Getting to sleep is very difficult if windows are rattling and noise is reverberating in the house. We do respectfully suggest that while the fete could be held here, the noise level and the traffic levels have to be managed much better,” said the resident, who wished to remain anonymous.
Another resident who did not want to reveal her identity for fear of victimisation added: “We have had to call the police a number of times because of the volume of the music. I have been threatened a number of times by tenants of CIC grounds. It is a little difficult to understand why, if I want to just live in peace in my home, I have to be fighting people every day.”
She admitted that she is considering leaving the neighbourhood.
“I think that I have stood my ground. Since I have been living here, but, of course, it gets a little tiresome. I am seriously considering no longer being part of this community. Which is unfair,” she said.
“We all work hard to get where we are in life, and for me to say that I can’t take this anymore, it is really unfortunate that this is what it comes to in a community.”
Guardian Media reached out to Soca Brainwash’s organiser, Ryan ‘DJ Private Ryan’ Alexander on the issue. Alexander said he has always considered the residents and had done a lot of work to reduce their inconvenience.
“In the last meeting, I said I will change the orientation of the event, that I will move the stage and we’d reconfigure the event. They commended us. We also promptly end at 8 pm, which also reduces the nuisance in the community, as opposed to going later, which is something that you usually see in fetes, but we end at 8 pm on the dot,” Alexander said.
He maintained that they got all the necessary approvals and adhered to EMA restrictions. He added that selecting a new venue is not a simple solution, as this is a specific fundraiser for CIC, but said they will continue to work with the residents.
“In terms of moving to another grounds, it’s not as simple, as there are not enough facilities that can handle events of a certain size. In terms of the festival and the cultural significance of Soca Brainwash and the fact that it is a fundraiser for the grounds itself, because without events like Soca Brainwash, the CIC grounds will suffer,” he added.
Last year, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar ordered an immediate halt to fetes at the Brian Lara Stadium, Hasely Crawford Stadium and the Jean Pierre Complex, except during the defined Carnival window, due to what she said were noise pollution complaints raised by members of the public in the communities where major fetes are held. Event organisers have had difficulty finding alternative events since then. The Stink and Dutty fete, which is usually staged at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, was moved to Chaguaramas but caused hours-long traffic chaos.
