Land Dispute Between Yemeri Grove and Laguna Villages in Toledo Continues

The land dispute saga between the villages Yemeri Grove and Laguna in the Toledo District continues. While the Ministry of Natural Resources has both villages under an agreement that there will be no further developments until the Ministry has clearly defined the village boundaries, Yemeri Grove villagers went on a tour last week to show the media five twenty-acre blocks within Yemeri Grove that have been marked as private property by a Mayan family. This week the Belize Association of Planners weighed in on the contention between villages, acknowledging that the issue is complex and will require creative measures to address. Carolyn Trench-Sandiford, president of the Association said that urban planning alone could not resolve the issue that Laguna and Yemeri Grove is facing, but that the input of urban planners would help all parties to better navigate the issue of competing uses for land. 

The association was incorporated in 2013 with the purpose of promoting urban planning to ensure that communities are planned sustainably and that residents have access to essentials such as utilities and recreational spaces. The association also emphasizes the need of proper planning to account for long-term needs of communities as they grow