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Environmental Inspectors Shut Down Construction at Several Hotels
Posted by Editor | April 15, 2008 | Categories: Economic Development, Environment |
 Inspectors confirm logging is occuring in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge. Photo courtesy La Nación. |
The inspectors from the environmental tribunal who arrived in a large group last week have shut down several construction projects.
The construction on a new hotel in Puerto Viejo was shut down with the inspectors saying that the construction was infringing upon the restricted maritime zone of Playa Negra. The property, owned by a lawyer whose name has not been reported, was apparently about to start operations.
Two other hotels, both located in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge protected zone, had their expansion construction projects halted.
At the hotel Villas del Caribe at Playa Cocles, inspectors said that the expansion of the hotel was not respecting the maritime zone boundaries. The hotel was apparently also using coral to line paths and gardens.
The inspectors also shut down the construction of a concrete building by Hotel Almonds and Corals (located between Punta Uva and Manzanillo). Apparently 2,500 square meters of forest had been cleared to build the project which is located at the entrance to the hotel.
The hotel is denying that the construction project is theirs.
The chairman of the Tribunal, Jose Lino Perez, lamented the disorder found in the area. “The Wildlife Refuge is not being respected. There are houses inside, logging and construction in public areas occuring without permits,” he said.
Still, Perez said the situation is not as serious as in the Pacific, where the same court closed three hotels with 380 rooms.
“Here there is less investment and it shows. Yet our intervention is timely to ensure that the tourism development begins to take off in the area is sustainable. We must try to preserve this paradise.”
Reporting from: La Nación: Tribunal Ambiental frena obras en Limón.
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This is good news. There has already been way too many illegal activities here: houses being constructed practically on top of each other in Punta Uva, no oversight on sewage runoffs, illegal land grabbing, illegal construction and just plain stupidity regarding concern for even the immediate future of the habitat here.
Hopefully this will make developers think twice before ignoring the obvious: the REAL treasures of this area are it’s natural beauty: the people and the environment. It’s why people come to visit and why we live here.
Estimados vecinos de Talamanca.
Lamentablemente la construccion mencionada no es del hotel Almendros y Corales pero su nombre es muy conocido y eso les daba mas publicidad y le hicieron mucho danyo.
La construccion es una casa de habitacion personal de 120 metros cuadrados, en un terreno de 2,400 metros cuadrados. Me pregunto como pudimos abrir un claro en el bosque de 2,500m2 si el terreno tiene solo 2,400?? Y como abrimos un claro de 2,500 m2 si quedan al menos 25 arboles, algunos tan gigantes como 50 metros de alto?? los pueden ver en la misma foto.
La casa tiene permiso de SETENA, MINAE, MUNICIPALIDAD DE TALAMANCA Y TODOS LOS DEMAS PERMISOS REQUERIDOS PARA SU CONSTRUCCION. Si el delito fue tan grave como todas las instituciones nos dieron el permiso?? La construccion esta en terreno con escritura publica y cualquier delito que pude haber cometido esta denunciado por el MINAE de Manzanillo y ocurrio hace dos anyos.
Ningun negocio ha cuidado mejor el Refugio que el Hotel Almendros y Corales y por eso cuenta con 4 hojas del Certificado de Sostenibilidad Turistica y una de las instituciones que autorian el CST es MINAE.
Aurora Gamez
It does appear that the La Nación article may have also included an error in regards to the property being built on Playa Negra. The inspectors did halt construction on a rather large, 5 car garaged house north of Hotel Banana Azul. They yellow taped off the contruction zone. Perhaps La Nación has confused a house with a hotel?
I’m no environment expert, but it seems to me that all this violations, pale in comparison to the damaged that the proposed marina will have on the area, the authorities have every right to shut down this projects as well as the marina project. as Jose Lino Perez said “we must try to preserve this paradise”
I really wish people would inform themselves before passing on urban legends as facts. The facts are simple: There are laws in Costa Rica to prevent abuse by the developers of the natural beauty and resources of this country. It is a good thing that this government actually is doing something about it, instead of being bought off like so many other Caribbean nations. Ever been to the Dominican Republic ? Construction on any land deemed to be protected or within boundaries clearly established is not acceptable, nor should it be condoned. MINAE is acting tough, and it’s time and they should be congratulated. However, this does not mean that you should thrown out the baby with the bathwater. There are numerous projects that can be developed within a framework that is respectful of the laws and the environment of Costa Rica. There is a profusion of guidelines that can help any developer to do so, including building marinas. (see http://www.blueflag.org/Criteria/Marinas).
The fact is the Caribe area will be developed, whether we like it or not, because the Pacific side is now overcrowded and Costa Rica remains a destination of choice for a lot of people with money to spare. So, we have a choice: either we moan and complain and bitch and protest and cry and scream like so many others have done in the past elsewhere with absolulety zero results OR we organize at the local level and implement measures that will welcome development within criteria that is acceptable to all parties in order to preserve the beauty and specific character of this place. I, for one, absolutely believe that this is the way to go.
I agree 100% with “Curious” - lets not squander this opportunity