Underground parking plan up in the air

THE PLAN to build a 300 vehicle parking lot in the Obarrio district of Bella Vista is “no go” says City Mayor Jose Isabel Blandon, but local residents think the matter is still undecided. The $7 million project was awarded Plaza Parking consortiu by the previous administration of Mayor Roxana Mendez.. 

Blandon said in his Twitter account – that “from the beginning I said that if the community did not want the underground parking, it would not happen.” He also noted that his administration was marked by promoting citizen participation and involve consensus.
Bur, for organizations and residents of Obarrio at the last community meeting, onlast Thursday evening, there was no formal decision on the suspension of the controversial project.
The president of the Obarrio, Association of owners and residents Lucia Stratmann Lucia said that “hopefully that’s it,” but added that Blandon says on one hand that “if the public does not want the project, then it will not go”, but also reiterates that the Supreme Court will decide the matter, as there is a signed contract and assigned.
The President of the Obarrio Environmental Law Association and lawyer organizations Donaldo Sousa said that the announcement of the mayor is not written or signed by him and other authorities, therefore, it remains a proposal to brighten the community.
Sousa stated that at the general meeting with Obarrio neighbors the mayor not said the project is not going to happen, and if he did it was with a small group of residents and perhaps political intentions.
Clare Herriges the Obarrio Action Committee representative said: “He left us all with concern that there is a need for parking in the city and the municipality must provide it but a final decision was never reached.”
He asked the authorities not to use double speak and to meet the demands of the community, that the project must be suspended.