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 News from Around Banderas Bay | March 2005 
Parks or Parking Lots?
 Ronald Walker - PVNN
| Architect's model of the proposed construction at Puerto Vallarta's Parque Hidalgo.
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Puerto Vallarta - Tuesday, March 1, 2005, the mayor of Puerto Vallarta, Lic. Gustavo González Villaseñor, arrived at Parque Hidalgo at 8:00 p.m. For about an hour, there was an exchange of ideas with approximately 150 residents of Vallarta.
While the mayor made several attempts to present the model of his proposal to those present (the model has been on display in the park for the past couple of weeks), he was met with a reaction of voices against building parking in the public parks.
Various of those present mentioned that there remained graves from the time that the park was the city cemetery (1890-1948). The mayor responded that there had been studies which proved that there were no human remains still in the area, in fact, the mayor stated that the actual area of the park was never part of the cemetery. A photograph of the cemetery from about 1930 seems to confirm that the park was part of the cemetery.
The mayor also stated that the trees of the park would be "replanted" above the proposed parking structure or taken to other parks in the city to be "replanted". The proposed removal and replanting of trees several decades old into containers above a concrete structure was met with disbelief by those present.
On several occasions, the mayor remembered when, as a child, he lived a couple blocks from Parque Hidalgo and enjoyed visiting the park. He observed that the park was now very deteriorated and full of food stands. The crowd shouted that, as mayor, it was his responsibility to maintain the park in good order and regulate the permits granted to the stands.
The proposal by Lic. Gustavo González Villaseñor of 31 January 2002, when he was a State Legislator in Guadalajara, to defend Parque Hidalgo was brought up by one of those present: "Why have you changed your mind, Mr. Mayor? Two years ago, before you were mayor, you defended the park. Now, as mayor, you are proposing to destroy the park, turning it over to a private company to build a parking structure." There was no response to this question.
Those gathered mention several pieces of property which could serve as parking structures to serve the center of the city. Once again, there was no response from the authorities. The mayor stated that construction would begin within "the coming days" as he left Parque Hidalgo, talking briefly with various of those present.
This was the first meeting between the mayor and those against the construction of parking in the public parks since the city "disincorporated" the parks in the city council meeting of December 2004. The possibility of dialog between the authorities and the opposition was not reached with the mayor appearing intransigent in his position and with very unconvincing arguments to support his position.
The defense of the parks with continue with manifestations every Sunday at Parque Hidalgo starting at 6:00 p.m. we also request that anyone who would like to retain the four public parks of Puerto Vallarta exclusively as parks, please send a letter to all of the english-speaking newspapers.
Ronald Walker, Grupo Ecológico de Puerto Vallarta |
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