NewsWhore
12-16-2008, 05:50 PM
Is a real estate development boom compatible with sustainable tourism? New viewpoints are gradually emerging. In the DR and abroad, debates are under way on whether the conversion of hotels into apartments and the boom in residential real estate that displaces hotel tourism is in line with sustainable development.
IPS News reports that Charlie Simon, a local artist in Las Terrenas, says that things are worse for him now compared to a few years ago. He is concerned about all the new construction and what it will mean for the future of the place. "It is not such a good thing to build so many apartments. People come for a week or two and then lock the place up and leave. Or people come for the weekend from the capital, they come with their own food, with everything. These people, what do they bring? You don't need many people to work in an apartment. It is not business for a town. Fifty apartments will produce maybe five jobs. How much will they make each month, the maids, the gardeners, maybe RD$5,000 a month? This is a benefit for the country? No."
President Leonel Fernandez is under pressure to sign permits for developers in Cabarete that will legalize the violation of a zonal law that bans the construction of buildings over 11 meters high or limits them to three floors in Puerto Plata province. The Federation for a Sustainable Cabarete is concerned that this may open the floodgates for four-story buildings that have already been built or sold, and encourage other developers to follow this as a business strategy. That is, to start the illegal construction, and then get Presidential approval in order to legalize it.
The Federation is sponsoring studies currently under way by the University of Baylor in Texas and the Pedro Henriquez Urena Architecture School in Santo Domingo aimed at analyzing the effects of an increase in density on the well-being of the community and on the winds of Cabarete, the source of the area's growth as a tourist attraction.
Meanwhile, paying off government officials seems to be the modus operandi, as reported in IPS News. Dr. Jose Bourget, a Dominican University of Maryland professor who teaches via the internet, settled in Las Terrenas with his family six years ago, shares Simon's concerns about development. "I think Las Terrenas has grown too much, too soon. That has had a tremendous impact on basic services and infrastructure, on water, roads. People were building any way they wanted, anywhere they wanted. Much of it was done by paying off officials," he told IPS.
In Cabarete, the deputy Minister of Tourism for the North Coast Cesar Jose de los Santos recently held a workshop about a development plan for Cabarete, attended by 50 local business owners, builders and community representatives. It was reported that seven architects and planners are working on a master plan to define development zones in Cabarete, taking into consideration the area's capacity to absorb more construction. Architect Maribel Villalona, director of planning at the Ministry of Environment confirmed that the current law limits building to three floors. She also stated that so far the Ministry of Tourism has never given a permit for higher constructions. For more information, see:
www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45118 (http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45118)
www.listin.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=83729 (http://www.listin.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=83729)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)
IPS News reports that Charlie Simon, a local artist in Las Terrenas, says that things are worse for him now compared to a few years ago. He is concerned about all the new construction and what it will mean for the future of the place. "It is not such a good thing to build so many apartments. People come for a week or two and then lock the place up and leave. Or people come for the weekend from the capital, they come with their own food, with everything. These people, what do they bring? You don't need many people to work in an apartment. It is not business for a town. Fifty apartments will produce maybe five jobs. How much will they make each month, the maids, the gardeners, maybe RD$5,000 a month? This is a benefit for the country? No."
President Leonel Fernandez is under pressure to sign permits for developers in Cabarete that will legalize the violation of a zonal law that bans the construction of buildings over 11 meters high or limits them to three floors in Puerto Plata province. The Federation for a Sustainable Cabarete is concerned that this may open the floodgates for four-story buildings that have already been built or sold, and encourage other developers to follow this as a business strategy. That is, to start the illegal construction, and then get Presidential approval in order to legalize it.
The Federation is sponsoring studies currently under way by the University of Baylor in Texas and the Pedro Henriquez Urena Architecture School in Santo Domingo aimed at analyzing the effects of an increase in density on the well-being of the community and on the winds of Cabarete, the source of the area's growth as a tourist attraction.
Meanwhile, paying off government officials seems to be the modus operandi, as reported in IPS News. Dr. Jose Bourget, a Dominican University of Maryland professor who teaches via the internet, settled in Las Terrenas with his family six years ago, shares Simon's concerns about development. "I think Las Terrenas has grown too much, too soon. That has had a tremendous impact on basic services and infrastructure, on water, roads. People were building any way they wanted, anywhere they wanted. Much of it was done by paying off officials," he told IPS.
In Cabarete, the deputy Minister of Tourism for the North Coast Cesar Jose de los Santos recently held a workshop about a development plan for Cabarete, attended by 50 local business owners, builders and community representatives. It was reported that seven architects and planners are working on a master plan to define development zones in Cabarete, taking into consideration the area's capacity to absorb more construction. Architect Maribel Villalona, director of planning at the Ministry of Environment confirmed that the current law limits building to three floors. She also stated that so far the Ministry of Tourism has never given a permit for higher constructions. For more information, see:
www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45118 (http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45118)
www.listin.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=83729 (http://www.listin.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=83729)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)