Foodland owners allow sale of lot for road widening

The owners of Cesar’s Foodland Inc. have decided to allow the contractor of the flyover project in Banilad to use their property for its road expansion, but asked the city to waive the parking requirement for their establishment as provided for by an existing ordinance.

Rolando Lim, who represented the owner of the establishment, said his clients have already decided to allow the Department of Public Works and Highways to construct a road right of way that will affect 445 square meters of CFI’s lots.

But Lim reminded the city officials of his clients’ request that while they agreed to sell part of their lots to the DPWH to be used for the road expansion project, the establishment should be also exempted from the parking requirement as provided for under the city’s building ordinance.

Aside from the request, CFI owners also want that their tenants to be allowed to park their cars diagonally with “nose-in and back out” scheme.

The tenants of Cesar’s Foodland Inc. shall also be given an exclusive privilege to park their cars at the vacant space under the flyover, particularly the area fronting the building, and that authorities shall provide a U-turn slot to make it easier for all vehicles that will park under the flyover, specifically for those coming from Cebu City, Maria Luisa Village, A.S. Fortuna and Talamban.

Councilor Hilario Davide III, chairman of the adhoc committee created by the Cebu City Council to monitor the construction of the flyover, is still planning to talk with DPWH-7 legal officer Augustino Hermoso about the matter.

But the City Traffic Operations Management has already decided to oppose the request that part of the open space under the flyover shall be used exclusively by CFI clients.

WTG Construction, the contractor of the 390-linear meter flyover project in Banilad, will be forced to expand the road beside the project to avoid more traffic congestion during the installation of the concrete parts of the flyover.

With the delay in the construction of the road expansion project, the flyover is expected to be finished in November.  –Rene U. Borromeo/BRP