The Superior Administrative Court (TSA) has rejected the request for a hold on the provisional permits issued by the Municipality of the National District (ADN) for the construction of the Hard Rock Casino & Hotel on Av. Abraham Lincoln in Santo Domingo. The TSA is the court entrusted with verifying the correct application of the law by government entities.
In a press release, the neighborhood associations of the Polígono Central said they would continue to demand that the Hard Rock Casino & Hotel comply with construction, transit and gambling laws and regulations.
Miriam Paulino, lawyer for the neighborhood associations, said that they would study the ruling and continue to exercise all legal actions available in order to halt the construction of the project and to invalidate the permits that were issued irregularly.
“We have lost one of a thousand battles. We will not give up. Justice will have to recognize that we are in the right,” she said.
Carmen Alonzo, president of the neighborhood of Piantini, stated that the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel project by violating so many laws and regulations would be setting a troubling precedent for the urban planning of Santo Domingo. She said it would cause multiple social and environmental impacts in Piantini and the Polígono Central and a worsening of the traffic in the already very congested zone.
The neighborhood groups said it does not matter whether the Hard Rock Casino & Hotel investors are domestic or foreign. What matters is that they have to comply with existing laws and regulations.
The neighborhood groups reject the announced 38-story building, with 15 floors more than legally permitted, in violation of the height and density zoning for the area. They also reject the construction of a mega casino in an area with dozens of residential condominiums, hospitals and schools. Moreover, they point out that the project is deficient by 500 parking spots compared to what is required under current transit regulations (M-002; Reglamento para Estacionamiento Vehicular en Edificaciones), as determined in a technical study carried out by urban planner and architect Erick Dorrejo.
Read more: DR1 Forums
17 February 2017
