Dulonan residents decry zoning board's decision
Residents of Barangay Dulonan, Arevalo who are directly affected by the ongoing construction of a gasoline refilling station will troop today to the Sangguniang Panlungsod to dramatize their complaint over the "injustice" they have suffered from the City Zoning Board of Appeals and Adjustment (CZBAA).
The residents will wear black shirts and black arm bands as the Sangguniang Panlungsod is set to tackle the issue on the proposed gasoline station owned by businessman Jose Santos of Santos Petroleum Corporation.
The oppositors led by Benjamin Gulmatico and Emmanuel Lucero strongly believe that the zoning board erred and deliberately violated provisions of the Land Use Plan 1998-2010 of the city or the Zoning Ordinance when it recently affirmed the Special Use Permit it granted to Santos.
The oppositors feared that the establishment of the gasoline station will pollute and contaminate the water source in the barangay especially in zones 4 and 5. Most of the homeowners rely on the deep well for their daily water use.
In today's session, Councilor Eldrid Antiquiera, chair of the committee on environment of the Sangguniang Panlungsod will lead the discussion of the Dulonan gas station issue. Earlier, the council deferred any action on the complaint of the residents as the case is still pending before the zoning board.
The oppositors filed a motion for reconsideration before the zoning board in relation to the Special Use Permit. The board led by Atty. Edgar Gil, chief of the City Legal Office and other officials of the zoning board conducted a hearing in the barangay.
During the said hearing, the oppositors as well as barangay officials who issued permits related to the proposed establishment of the gasoline refilling station presented their arguments. The said hearing did not resolve the issue as officials left the place even before they came up with their initial findings.
However, the oppositors were caught flat-footed when the zoning board recently affirmed the issuance of the Special Use Permit. Moreover, the oppositors are questioning the board's action since the proponent started the construction of the proposed gasoline station even before the approval of permits such as the sanitary permit, electrical permit and mechanical permit.
The sanitary, electrical and mechanical permits were issued by the City Engineers Office last December 5, 2007. However, the oppositors noticed that the construction started as early as November 29.