Saturday, December 15, 2007 Rezoning hearing postponed By Linette C. Ramos Sun.Star Staff Reporter
BECAUSE the Province and other owners of lots that will be declared socialized housing zones were not invited to yesterday’s public hearing, the Cebu City Council postponed consultations on the proposal to rezone Capitol properties in the city.
Only one of the 17 personalities invited to give their position on the proposed measure attended the scheduled public hearing during the council’s regular session yesterday.
Rene Avila of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (CCCI) committee on taxes warned the council of possible income losses if the ordinance is approved.
“We would just like to caution the council that there maybe changes when the lots are rezoned. There may be financial considerations that have to be looked at because there will be adjustments in real estate taxes,” he told the council.
In an interview after his discussion, Avila said the rezoning of the lots could mean lesser revenues for the City Government because lots in socialized housing zones yield far lower real estate taxes.
The properties are currently classified as commercial and residential zones.
Duration of classification
He also asked the council how long the classification will be in effect, considering that the City’s progress will certainly bring more business activities in socialized housing zones.
Last August, four councilors proposed the inclusion of a new land-use classification called “socialized housing zones” in the zoning ordinance, and have identified Capitol-owned lots in the city to be designated as such a zone.
The councilors want to amend the 1996 Revised Zoning Ordinance of Cebu City to include the new classification, which will result in the rezoning of Province-owned lots in Barangays Apas, Luz, Busay, Camputhaw, Capitol Site, Kalunasan, Kasambagan, Lahug, Lorega, Mabolo and Tejero.
If approved, areas previously declared as socialized housing sites in 11 barangays under City Ordinances 1684, 1772 and 1866 will be used solely for socialized housing.
It will also keep the Province from evicting some 5,000 families occupying their properties and develop these for commercial purposes.
The public hearing was postponed to Jan. 9 so representatives of the Provincial Government, lot owners, neighborhood associations and occupants of the lots can attend.
Effect on real estate taxes
“This will affect real estate taxes collection because lots in socialized housing zones will yield lesser taxes than what can be collected if they remained commercial or residential zones... It would mean lesser revenues. And what about the existing commercial areas, will they also be reclassified as socialize housing zones?” Avila told Sun.Star Cebu.
Councilor Gerardo Carillo, one of the proponents of the ordinance, said there is a need to rezone the identified sites as socialized housing zones so that their use can be limited to socialized housing.
Lots in socialized housing zones cannot be used for commercial, institutional and ordinary residential purposes unless the City Government approves a variance or exemption.
The ordinance was proposed to protect its occupants from threats of eviction from the Provincial Government, owner of some 60 parcels of land in 11 barangays.
The properties were offered at a low cost to some 5,000 families sometime in 1993 but since most of them did not meet the deadline to pay their amortization, Capitol decided to recover the lots from its occupants.
Once the areas are declared socialized housing zones, Capitol will not be able to sell the properties to other parties and investors, except to its present occupants.
Capitol will also not be able to use the lots for purposes other than socialized housing.
