Wednesday, November 28, 2007 Zoning matters dominate session
AMENDMENTS to and exemptions from the Davao City Zoning Ordinance dominated the discussion during the City Council session Tuesday, making it a fruitful day for the committee on housing, rural, and urban development chaired by Councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling.
The body took up six matters, all of which have been deferred repeatedly.
Out of the six in the agenda, four has been approved, one was junked, and one was once deferred yet again.
Among those who passed were two applications for land use reclassification and one exemption -- all three to accommodate urban poor housing projects in Indangan, Sasa, and Panacan, respectively.
A family's bid to subdivide a property in Shrine Hills also gained the nod of the body after the Mines and Geosciences Bureau issued a certificate that the area in question is stable and not landslide prone.
The application for land use reclassification of a crusher plant owner which ended in a heated argument with the opposing neighbor was once again deferred.
This as Councilor Victorio Advincula pointed out that the body must find out whether the owner has indeed complied with the memorandum of agreement signed with the neighbors before the City Council will grant the applicant's request.
Vice Mayor Sara Z. Duterte, obviously piqued, still granted the motion for deferment but warned the body that it has to conclude the issue during the next session.
"I want you to take a stand and vote whether or not to pass it the next time the matter is put on the floor," Duterte said.
Another application for land use reclassification for a paper recycling plant was denied by the body saying they could not allow a plant in a protected low density residential zone located in Dumoy.
"What is classified as protected area by the zoning ordinance must remain protected," Councilor Leonardo Avila III said.
Dumoy is a protected area since it is where the city's aquifers or ground water source is located.
After extensively discussing the six items, Floor Leader Bonifacio Militar, with Cabling's approval, moved for the deferment of other matters under the housing committee as to make time for other matters to be discussed. (GLP)
