SANTO DOMINGO. – Residents of the Cuesta Brava sector of Arroyo Hondo in the National District denounced yesterday, Tuesday, the misuse of land and environmental devastation by a construction company that allegedly intends to build a housing project on said land.
At a press conference, representatives of the neighborhood association stated that the land preparation work, which includes a restricted area, is seriously affecting the natural environment of the area.
Arcelia Rosario de la Cruz, a community spokesperson, blamed the construction company Danny Santos Compres SRL for actions that threaten the green area. “They started on February 27th, which was a non-working day. And most of the tree cutting is always done on weekends.” “They began without any permits and continue working late into the night with backhoes,” the leader explained.
For her part, Rosario de la Cruz explained that the actions have been ongoing since February and that they have sufficient evidence to prove it. “So far they haven’t stopped, they won’t stop. They didn’t come today; it seems they were warned that the press was coming and they packed up their equipment. But we have all the proof,” said the leaders, who maintain that the construction project belongs to a government official.
Cruz maintained that part of the work includes the extraction of materials like caliche without the corresponding permits. “They still hide behind the fact that they're extracting materials like caliche, for which they need environmental permits for a truck to be moved,” he denounced.
Similarly, Carmen Rodríguez, from the local residents' association, indicated that the construction work affects an area classified as a greenbelt. "This is a greenbelt zone in this country, and we have the documents to prove it." "They've created an ecological disaster there," she stated.
Rodríguez noted that the community has filed multiple complaints with the authorities. “The first communication was sent on March 5th. We also made several complaints through the green hotline. Yesterday, someone from the Environment Ministry arrived. They verified everything that is happening and confirmed that they do not have permits,” he emphasized.
Regarding the environmental consequences, community leader Vivian Camilo explained: “The ecological crime they have committed has caused many animals that we didn't even know existed to run to our area.”
Camilo highlighted irregularities in the approval of the land use since that is a protected area, according to the regulations established in the Territorial Planning Law.
“That land use was approved four months after the Territorial Planning Plan came into effect, which states that this is R1. Why? Two objectives: to control density and to save biodiversity. Both things are being violated,” he stated.
The spokesperson questioned the permits issued by the municipal authorities. “That small change the city council made, assigning the wrong land use designation, is what allowed all of this to be approved,” she said. “We are requesting that current laws be enforced and that no exceptions be made.”.
Community members reiterated their call for the government and responsible institutions to intervene. “Authorities, please come to the aid of what little remains,” Rosario de la Cruz concluded.
About the construction company
Danny Santos Compres SRL states on its social media that it is a construction company that promotes integrated services for the design, development and construction of projects.
