Baguio buildings without parking areas warned: Fix or else ...

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY-  At least ten establishments within the central business district have been issued notices of violation for non-compliance with the parking requirement.

City buildings and architecture officer Nazita Banez said this is pursuant to Mayor Mauricio Domogan's directive to give ultimatum to the owners of these establishments as they were given ample time or since September last year to restore the parking amenity in their places of business.

In the notice, the businessmen were given 30 days upon receipt of the document to restore their parking spaces according to the approved building and occupancy permits issued to them.  These parking areas were found to be converted into commercial spaces.

The mayor last month directed Banez to hasten and complete the inventory of establishments within a month and identify those that failed to comply for purposes of issuing orders for the cancellation of their building and occupancy permits and closing down the establishments.

“These businessmen have been given due process as we have met with them and given them enough time to comply.  They will have no reason to question our order,” the mayor said.

Owners of the business establishments with whom the mayor met in September last year committed to restore the parking area and appealed for a grace period.

The mayor agreed and gave them until February to give them chance to rectify their violation either by restoring their parking areas which were converted and used for other purposes or by designating a parking area outside their buildings but within the property s 200-meter radius.

After the deadline, the mayor asked the CBAO to check on the status of the buildings and come up with an inventory of those that did not comply with the agreement.

The mayor said altering the approved plans constitutes violation of Presidential Decree 96 or the National Building Code and city ordinances and as such the city can revoke the building and occupancy permits and close the establishments.