An independent group charged with overseeing the development of Hamilton City has been reconvened by the Hamilton Mayor.

The Mayor’s Commission was originally set up by former Mayor Jay Bluck last year, as an independent body responsible for undertaking a wide-ranging review of the management and development of the city.

It was put on hold after Mr. Bluck died last September, but current Mayor Sutherland Madeiros yesterday announced the reconvening of the 14 members who represent a variety of business interests.

Belcario Thomas, managing partner of Unité event marketing and promotions said, as part of the Commission, he was looking forward to trying to update the city. “The key to revitalising the city is to make the city safe and as enticing as possible so people don’t just work there and leave but it’s about the overall lifestyle,” he said.

“We need to make it more user friendly, more residential propped up by added amenities. There should be lounge bars and other opportunities outside of the bar.”

Yesterday morning, current Mayor Sutherland Madeiros said he wanted to bring the Commission back because its 14 members represented a wide variety of experienced business people from different sectors, which could help the City of Hamilton.

As well as identifying and assessing commercial, residential and other development issues impacting the city, the Commission will be charged with reviewing the Hamilton City Plan 2001.

One of the issues Mr. Madeiros is interested in looking at in particular, is the problem of parking, which the Corporation has already brought in clamps in to address. But he is also concerned about creating more parking spaces, which said will mean the Corporation needs to look at the rate structures in the current car parks and introduce new parking areas.

Another proposition he hopes the Commission will seriously consider, is changing the height allowance on buildings in the City of Hamilton. “Many years ago when we didn’t have steel, the structures could only go about three or four storeys high because they were made of Bermuda stone,” he said.

“Ten storeys is the highest we have so far, but especially in the north Hamilton area, higher buildings could be considered.”

Anything above seven storeys violates the Hamilton City Plan 2001, but the plan is increasingly under pressure as developers want to build office or apartment blocks above the existing height restriction. However, this pressure to build higher and the number of projects currently underway in the city — which include Seon Place and the HSBC Bank of Bermuda building on the former Trimingham’s site — is a good sign of growth, according to Mr. Sutherland.

This growth is what the Commission of 14 will have to address, though Chairman of the Mayor’s Commission J.C. ‘Kit’ Astwood said suggestions from the public will help.

The Commission members include Mr. Astwood, Henry Ming as the Deputy Chairman and Peter Adwick as the Secretary.

Other members include Wendall Brown, Teresa Chatfield, Zane DeSilva, Alan Dunch, Barbara Finsness, James Gibbons, James Jardine, Julie Marshall, Donna Pearman, Mr. Thomas and David L. White.

Comments and suggestions for the Mayor’s Commission should be sent to padwick[AT]dl.bm or via mail to Peter Adwick, Secretary, Mayor’s Commission, City Hall, Hamilton.