26 city biz building owners told: Return parking spaces

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY – The local government issued notices to owners of 26 establishments in the city for them to “return” parking spaces in their establishments converted to business spaces.

Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said the local government gave the owners of establishments least six months to return the parking spaces or the city government will impose stiffer penalties against them.

The parking spaces in said establishments will help prevent illegal parking of clients of the said establishments, he said, adding owners should not only deal with customers but also parking spaces for t those transacting business in offices and establishments in said buildings.

Earlier, the previous city council passed an ordinance providing building owners that converted their parking spaces to business spaces to return parking spaces and given six months to comply.

One of the penalties on erring building owners who refuse to comply with the return of their designated parking spaces after the six-month period is the cancellation of the building’s occupancy permit that will result to closure of all establishments operating in said buildings.

The City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) was tasked to monitor compliance.

Under Presidential Decree 1096 or the National Build Code, owners of buildings are mandated to provide sufficient parking areas within their structures for use of their tenants and their clients.

Local officials said absence of parking areas in buildings because of their conversion to business spaces has contributed in the congestion along major roads in the city considering that vehicles are parked on roadsides.

The CBAO will provide periodic updates on compliance of building owners to the directive to return parking spaces within their structures so the local government will be aware of action against erring building owners who seem to prefer profit instead of providing convenience to their tenants and clients.