Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico – Residents of Vallarta’s Emiliano Zapata neighborhood are objecting to the construction of a 9-story building in front of the emblematic church of Santa Cruz, saying that it will not only block views of the clock tower but is also an attack on the image of this typical neighborhood, which they say is an important tourist attraction.
At the corner of Aguacate and Lázaro Cárdenas, where a mountain-style colonial mansion once stood, Desire Constructions is already laying the foundation for this new 9-story building, which will include a basement, 6 floors of residential units, plus a terrace with a pergola and a pool, common areas and commercial spaces.
A group of neighbors has started legal proceedings to stop construction, arguing that the building violates the neighborhood’s “Right to Culture,” in addition to other damages, like straining city services and parking.
“About 10 months ago the engineer who is leading the construction was there, he presented us with the project plans, which are very nice, but among the questions we asked him was how many parking spaces does it have, because they will have 30 units plus commercial premises, so there must be more than 30 parking spaces, because you can no longer do it outside,” Father Esteban Salazar González, parish priest of Santa Cruz, explained.
Father Esteban is also concerned about the threat to the environment. “The environment and cultural rights in this neighborhood limits buildings to a maximum height of 3 stories. With a building like this, the air flow is going to be obstructed and we are going to have less water, which is already in short supply. There will also be electricity outages and we are likely to be flooded with dirty water, among other things, like has happened in other neighborhoods,” he warned.
He said that they are currently collecting signatures for the legal procedure that they will undertake against this tower. He explained that their plan is peaceful, but clarified that they are raising their voices today to avoid social problems. They have even already discussed the subject with the municipal president Luis Michel.
The construction license, number 3755/21, was granted on September 28, 2021, in the last week of the municipal administration that was governed by the Movimiento Ciudadano.
“Between 100 and 200 neighbors have signed the petition, asking that the neighborhood’s cultural rights are respected, they must be small buildings, with clay tile roofs, those towers are not allowed here. I explained the situation to the new mayor, Luis Michel. Through Transparency we learned that this permit was granted last September by the previous authorities, so I do not know if he can do anything but, before construction begins, we wanted to make sure that he is aware that the community is dissatisfied,” informed the priest.
Source: Tribuna de La Bahía
