Cases set against city building owners over parking violations

By Dexter A. See

 BAGUIO CITY – The City Building and Architecture Office warned building owners who disregard several notices for the return of parking allocations in their structures that appropriate cases will be filed against them if they continue to defy such notices.

Engineer Nazita F. Bañez, city Buildings chief, said CBAO has list of defiant business owners and CBAO personnel are now checking compliance to previously issued notices.

Banez said  coordination was  done with the City Permits and Licensing Division not to issue business permits to stalls occupying these parking allocations to compel closure of establishments because of their violation.

 “CBAO is ready to file the necessary cases for violation of the National Building code for the wilful conversion of the parking allocations to business stalls which is not allowed under existing rules and regulations,” Bañez told members of the City Council during the initial deliberation of the CBAO budget.

 Bañez said  since she assumed the position of City Building Official, the Local Zoning Board of Adjustments and Appeals (LZBAA) never approved requests for exemption from the provision of parking spaces in their structures for the use of their tenants to prevent them from parking their vehicles along roads that contribute to the constriction of traffic.

According to her, building owners were already issued notices to revert the stalls back to parking allocation, thus, they have to comply or else they will answer for their violations once it will be proven that they did not actually comply with the necessary provision.

She added some building owners reverted stalls into parking areas but others have yet to comply.

The CBAO official said erring building owners violated building permits that warrant filing of charges against them under existing laws that prohibit such illegal acts.