A federal judge granted an injunction to the Todos Santos ejido, recognizing that they were not consulted during the preparation of the Urban Development Plan (PDU) and ordered that the process be repeated with the participation of the ejido. As a result, residents celebrated and reported that a new PDU would be drawn up for the community. However, the La Paz City Council maintains that the document is still valid and that there are still legal appeals in process.
It is worth mentioning that the PDU of Todos Santos, El Pescadero and Las Playitas, approved by the La Paz City Council in August 2024, updates the territorial planning of the region to promote orderly and sustainable growth. On the other hand, residents point out inconsistencies and omissions in the plan that could have negative implications for the environment and natural resources, especially water.
Among the criticisms, they highlight the lack of risk assessments and the perception that not all community opinions were taken into account during the public consultation. In addition, the residents argue that the new plan allows for an increase in population density and construction in sensitive areas, such as coastal dunes, which they believe could alter the traditional and natural character of Todos Santos.
In this regard, John Moreno, an environmental lawyer and resident, explained that the community expressed its dissatisfaction with the PDU update process. He indicated that the ejido and other citizens promoted injunctions due to the lack of information and adequate participation in the public consultation.
“From the beginning, when the authorities of the IMPLAN and the City’s Integrated Management presented themselves to the community, there was a lack of information, there was opacity, there was an arbitrary imposition of time frames and a whole series of issues that the citizens made known at the time, they expressed it and made it known to the authorities. Despite this, they continued with the procedure,” explained Moreno.
The lawyer also pointed out that the law establishes and recognizes that there are different modalities and different processes, whether it is a creation, cancellation or modification of a PDU. However, he said that the instrument that was proposed and published for public consultation, far from being a small update, is an abrogation and a creation of a new one.
“There are about 200 pages of difference between the project presented in public consultation and the project presented in the Town Council for approval. In addition to this, the technical criteria were made known and published after the public consultation, said Moreno.
For its part, the City Council of La Paz published a statement where it assured that the PDU is still in force and that the judicial resolution is not yet final. According to the document, the case is under review by a Collegiate Court, which will determine the legality of the update process.
John Moreno mentioned that it is likely that the municipal authorities will have to rework the PDU, this time ensuring a more inclusive public consultation and in accordance with the legal guidelines, to achieve a consensus between the parties involved and guarantee a balanced development that respects the natural environment and the needs of the community.
Source: tribunademexico
