Friday, June 29, 2007 Most north barangays open to projects freeze By Rene H. Martel Sun.Star Staff Reporter
ALTHOUGH they have some concerns, majority of the north district barangay captains whose turfs could be covered by an expanded moratorium on development projects agreed to the proposal.
They acknowledged it is high time for the Cebu City Government to do something about the traffic problem, and suggested that the road leading to Talamban be widened.
City Planning Officer Nigel Paul Villarete said his request for the City Council to include Barangays Talamban, San Jose, Budlaan, Pit-os, Pulang-bato and Binaliw in the moratorium, originally imposed in Banilad, is due to the rapid development in these barangays.
“While rapid urbanization is a welcome development, unrestrained and uncontrolled growth generally results to runaway development, which more often backfires into urban blight and traffic congestion,” he said in a memorandum dated June 18 that the council “noted” last Wednesday.
The council resolution that imposed a moratorium in Banilad “doesn’t adequately or effectively address the need for a ‘status quo’ suspension” on the feared runaway development, Villarete said.
His request, though, does not mean that no development will be allowed.
Applications will be carefully evaluated to determine if they would not significantly add to the worsening traffic in the Talamban area.
“We are putting a careful evaluation of each development in the area to prevent more congestion. The link is too congested.
We cannot be forever planning for more lanes and overpasses,” the engineer said.
He said several locational permit applications are pending in his office.
Talamban Barangay Captain Alvin Arcilla told radio dyLA yesterday that if the moratorium will be imposed, it will just be for two months, while the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) does a traffic study.
Arcilla, Leah Japson (Banilad), Nilo Tariman (Pit-os), Artemio Ardiza (Binaliw) and Leonila Llaguno (Pulangbato) were of the same opinion, that a moratorium on development projects is needed while the City works on expanding Gov. Cuenco Ave.
Arcilla mentioned that there is a subdivision project in Talamban with a narrow road leading to the site.
And the road sits on a private property.
He expressed concern, though, on the proposal’s effect on Aboitizland’s Pristina subdivision that straddles both Talamban and Bacayan.
Villarete said that project was already issued a permit and therefore could proceed with or without the moratorium.
Tariman, in an interview with Sun.Star Cebu, said traffic going to his barangay through the Banilad-Talamban area has worsened through the years.
Before any other development is approved, the government should first take care of the infrastructure component, which is the widening of the road, he added.
Ardiza said that although there are just a few development projects in his barangay, he is in favor of Villarete’s proposal since it will bring convenience to them.
For her part, Llaguno said Pulangbato could make do without more development projects, adding that the traffic situation should be addressed first.
