THE city council is set to amend the zoning ordinance enacted by the past legislative body but was returned by the regional office of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) for revisions.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, chair of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, and Vice councilors, namely Councilors Jose Netu Tamayo, Danilo Torio, Karlos Reyna, Farah Decano and Alfredo Quinto, agreed to introduce amendments to the zoning ordinance to make it more relevant to the present times.

City Planning and Development Coordinator Romeo Rosario said the HLRUB returned the ordinance with the recommendation that it should be revised to bring it in tune with the times.

The amended ordinance will be submitted anew for another review and approval by the HLRUB national office.

Once approved by the national office, the zoning ordinance shall become the official land use plan of the city of Dagupan, and will serve as the basis of all future land use and development.

“Amendment of the zoning law is necessary in view of emerging economic developments spawned recently by the opening of the new Dawel-Pantal-Lucao road,” said Vice Mayor Fernandez.

The new road connecting the new growth centers of Bonuan and Lucao is expected to impact on other growth centers in Caranglaan and Tebeng, she said.

Speaking before the city council on Tuesday, Rosario proposed several amendments that included the continued regulation of fishponds and their conversion into commercial areas to protect the bangus industry, the designation of commercial centers for tourism purposes.

 Dagupan currently hosts the biggest number of shopping malls in the Ilocos Region.

Rosario also proposed that new buildings in the city must be required to provide for parking spaces for their customers, a space for tree planting, and recreation among others.

Signages and installation of billboards, according to Rosario, must also be required to conform with the specifications and standards prescribed by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Tamayo hailed Rosario’s recommendation for the preservation of the city’s heritage sites, citing the loss the city suffered when Dagupeña Restaurant was demolished to give way to another shopping center.

According to the vice mayor, the building that housed the Dagupena Restaurant, built in the 1930s, had great historical value to the city, expressing hope that the other heritage sites will now be preserved.—LM

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