Residents in a Zapopan neighborhood have achieved a rare victory in the battle to stop runaway high-rise development in the metro-area municipality.
After filings submitted by the Chapalita de Occidente neighborhood association, a district court has ruled that local building codes have been violated in the construction of two nine-story blocks of apartments going up at the corner of Tepeyac and Manuel J. Clouthier.
Builders have blatantly ignored urban development plans (planes parciales), which only grant permission for three stories, the court confirmed.
The court ordered three senior Zapopan officials to enact their ruling and close down work on the development, or face sanctions. The order was carried out Monday.
Chapalita de Occidente President Ernesto Martín Partida López said his association is ready to take further legal action to get the towers demolished. “But we’re not singing victory yet,” he added, acknowledging that the developers will file counter legal arguments to try and get the project restarted.
Neighbors say the influx of so many new residents will seriously compromise” drainage in the zone, which suffers from frequent flooding during the rainy season. It will also increase traffic, affecting the wellbeing of many senior citizens who live in the area, they argue.