Zoning Board decisions now need council nod

CEBU, Philippines - Approval of variances on land uses, applications for preliminary locational clearances, development permits and special clearances on parking approved by the Zoning Board will now need approval from the Cebu City Council.

During its regular session last Wednesday, the Council passed the amendatory ordinance proposed by Councilor Noel Wenceslao, which sought to insert the provision in the Revised Zoning Ordinance of the city.

With the provision inserted, the Council will now have the final say on all clearances and permits approved by the zoning board headed by Mayor Michael Rama.

The Council said it wants to avoid situations wherein permits that do not pass its scrutiny would later pose problems to the city.

Wenceslao earlier cited as example the developments in the upland areas that are blamed for the aggravated flooding in the lowlands.

The Council denied that the move was triggered by matters involving the Ciudad Project of the Provincial Government, which was granted a locational clearance by the City Planning and Development Office.

 The council said the locational clearance of the Ciudad Project will no longer be affected but also admitted that the development permit would later need to under scrutiny.

With the new ordinance, the applications for variances on land uses, applications for preliminary locational clearances, application for development permits and special clearances on parking shall still pass the scrutiny of the Zoning Board but the board can only recommend for the Council to approve the applications.

The executive department had said the move of the Council is not necessary because the Council has representatives in the zoning board, including Councilors Alvin Dizon, Alvin Arcilla, Wenceslao and Augustus “Jun” Pe.

It the council that delegated this function to the Zoning Board to cut the bureaucracy and to prevent the council from being flooded with applications.

But the permits that will be subjected to the council approval are those applications for major development. (FREEMAN)