SANTO DOMINGO.-With several changes, the Organic Law of Territorial Planning, Land Use and Human Settlements was approved yesterday in the Senate of the Republic, so it is now up to the Chamber of Deputies to study and approve it.
If enacted, the law stipulates that new constructions may not compromise environmental sustainability by replacing mangrove areas or coastal-marine ecosystems, mountains and caverns with buildings intended for residential, tourist, commercial, and other uses.
Also unsuitable are spaces that have green areas required according to the population that permanently inhabits them; where housing density affects the use of facilities and public space in existing urban areas.
Construction will not be permitted in territories that destroy cultural heritage assets, especially in natural and rural areas, areas that may be urbanized, and urban areas that may be renovated or rehabilitated.
Authors
The bill, authored by Senators Feliz Bautista and Ricardo de los Santos and Representative Máximo Castro, was studied for two years by a bicameral commission, which submitted its report to the Senate, assuring that it is an instrument that will strengthen territorial organization in the country.
The project was voted on with 28 votes in favor and one against, the dissenting vote being from Senator Franklin Rodríguez, of the People's Force party.
Changes
Among the changes made to the bill is the one introduced by Senator Alexis Victoria Yeb with respect to subparagraph C of numeral 6 of article 25 so that from now on it says: "Industrial parks, poles and tourist destinations or other areas of national interest", this modification was due to the fact that at the end of the paragraph it had a "y" at the end and it was eliminated.
Another modification was to paragraph 2 of article 42 so that from now on it will say: "The existing green areas in urbanized land must have a minimum extension of land taking into account the population density in the area and the size of the project as indicated by the regulations.".
The third modification was to numeral 2 of article 80 to include at the end "provided that they have acted in a malicious manner in carrying out the acts contrary to the provisions of this law.".
The senators also approved a change submitted by Félix Bautista to paragraph 3 of article 23 of the municipal planning scheme to change the word "revised" to "completed".
These modifications were unanimously approved by the senators present in the chamber. A suggestion submitted by Senator Bauta Rojas regarding penalties was rejected by the legislators.
