Citizen observations on Amendment No. 9 to the Municipal Zoning Plan
These are the observations submitted by Red Precordillera last Tuesday, February 18, on Amendment No. 9 to the Municipal Zoning Plan proposed by Mayor Carter and his municipal council — which provides no protection whatsoever for Bosque Panul or the Precordillera.
These are the observations submitted by Red Precordillera last Tuesday, February 18, on Amendment No. 9 to the Municipal Zoning Plan proposed by Mayor Carter and his municipal council — which provides no protection whatsoever for Bosque Panul or the Precordillera.
DEAR MAYOR:
In the context of the No. 9 amendment process to La Florida's Municipal Zoning Plan, representing residents organized in Red por la Defensa de la Precordillera, I wish to submit the following observations:
FIRST, that the municipal proposal originating this process does not recognize the majority opinion of residents — clearly expressed in the 2011 citizen consultation — regarding the regulatory protection of the native forest located throughout the precordillera of the district, specifically the call to halt urban expansion into that area.
ON THE CONTRARY, the amendment promotes the growth of the city over the precordillera by allowing various real estate business models, which would inevitably affect the environmental value of the native forest — the very object of protection in this process.
THEREFORE, the amendment proposal should be changed so as to express a zero-construction policy in the area.
SECOND, that the municipal proposal originating this process is not consistent with its stated objective: to give regulatory recognition to areas of natural value and areas of geographic risk. To protect areas of natural value, the reasonable approach is to prevent their fragmentation; to make risk areas effective, the reasonable approach is to prevent the arbitrary concentration of construction.
ON THE CONTRARY, the municipal proposal allows the subdivision of properties and the construction of works, and also allows the concentration of construction in locations that property owners may choose at their own discretion. A measure that would irresponsibly promote real estate expansion at the expense of environmental quality and urban safety.
THEREFORE, the amendment proposal should be changed so as to recognize areas of natural value — such as the native sclerophyllous forest located throughout the precordillera of the district — and its surrounding area of ecosystem importance (or buffer zone), without which Bosque Panul could not perform its vital functions, such as the infiltration of rainwater that enables its survival. It should also clearly recognize restriction zones due to geographic risk. OR, IN SUMMARY, it should draw on information established through rigorous and impartial geographic studies.
THIRD, that the municipal proposal arbitrarily projects a more intensive land subdivision in the sector of Calle Bailahuén compared to its surroundings, the Lo Cañas neighborhood — which lacks all logic, since this neighborhood coincides with the native forest's buffer zone.
THEREFORE, the amendment proposal should be changed so that the Calle Bailahuén sector at least retains the same subdivision level as the rest of the Lo Cañas neighborhood.
FOURTH, that the proposal originating this process mixes various amendments to the Municipal Zoning Plan that have no relation to one another (properties on Av. Diego Portales, the surroundings of the Schoenstadt Sanctuary, the precordillera sector, among others), forcing the Municipal Council to vote for all or against all of them. This appears to be malicious and dishonest on the part of La Florida's Mayor's Office.
THEREFORE, the proposal must be changed so as to allow for rapid and expeditious approval of the amendments demanded by residents of Diego Portales, separate from the open, participatory, democratic, informed, and good-faith discussion that the regulatory protection of the precordillera deserves from the Mayor's Office and the Urban Advisory.
FINALLY, that during the citizen observations process, residents have still not had access to public information on the results of the risk study currently being conducted by Professor Francisco Ferrando. It is essential that residents be made aware of and understand the recommendations that this study makes to the municipality, as a necessary condition for exercising the right to participate in an informed manner.
THEREFORE, the citizen observation period must be extended by an additional 15 business days, counting from the moment the Municipality of La Florida launches a campaign to properly disseminate the study and its recommendations.
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