BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan ordered concerned offices of the local government to start processing the closure of buildings that have not reverted their converted parking spaces to their original purpose as the time has lapsed for them to comply with the reversion order.
The local chief executive ordered the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) to withdraw the occupancy permit issued to building owners once their designated parking spaces remain to be operating as commercial stalls while the City Permits and Licensing Division was directed to cancel the business permits issued to business establishments occupying designated parking spaces of buildings in the different parts of the city.
“We already discussed the matter with the owners of the buildings at least three times and we gave them sufficient time to bring back their parking allocations until such time that their lease agreements with their tenants shall have expired. We believe that now that it is nearing the end of the year, the building owners shall have complied with the agreement to bring back their parking spaces,” Domogan stressed.
He pointed the inadequate parking spaces in the city is one of the major problems of the local government that is why building owners should use their parking allocations for their prescribed purpose instead of leasing these out as commercial space in gross violation of the conditions of the building and occupancy permits issued to them.
According to him, designated parking allocations in city structures should remain as such for parking of clients of business in establishments within buildings to avoid contributing to traffic especially in the central business district area.
He said there is a need for building owners to comply with the agreement that was reached with them previously because these parking spaces within their structures will definitely help lessen the number of illegally parked vehicles on roads and other public places in the city.
Earlier, the CBAO identified the building owners that illegally converted their parking allocations to commercial spaces and issued them the appropriate notices of violation and reversion of the spaces to their original use per prescribed rules and regulations mandating them to maintain parking spaces for their tenants.
He expressed confidence that the building owners will comply with the agreements the soonest to prevent the eventual closure of their operations./By Dexter A. See#
