A CHINESE temple would have to move back by at least three to four meters to allow the Cebu City government to restore the sidewalk along J.L. Briones Street at the North Reclamation Area that they have encroached since the 1980s.
But first, government engineers need to assess how the reduction of the temple’s size would affect its structural stability, Cebu City Legal Officer Jerone Castillo said.
“Dili lang ni nato dali dali-on (Let’s not rush it). By the time nga ma okay na tanan (that everything is okay) then we will take action,” he said.
The Cebu City government allocated P1.2 million for the rehabilitation and restoration of the sidewalk of J. L. Briones Street, the stretch of road that provides access from SM mall to Prince Warehouse Club at the Reclamation Area.
Portions of the sidewalk of the four-lane road haven’t been completed due to the presence of illegal structures.
Original width
The city government already convinced the Osmeña family to demolish a portion of their D Inn motel located at the corner of General Maxilom Avenue and J. L. Briones Street, that is already encroaching the sidewalk.
Mayor Michael Rama visited the area at noontime yesterday and saw that the demolition was completed.
All that needs to be done is to clear the demolition site of wood and cement.
“This is in line with (our program of) recovering the sidewalks and bringing it to its original width,” Rama said.
The mayor also expressed his appreciation to the family of the late vice mayor Renato Osmena for allowing the removal of a portion of their family owned business that used to encroach the sidewalk.
With the area already cleared, Rama said the contractor can start with the restoration of that part of the sidewalk.
No resistance
“Next is for the city attorney to be consulting with the owners of that (Chinese) temple there. We are asking also for their understanding,” Rama said.
Asked why the encroachment of the sidewalk was undetected during the construction of the Chinese temple, Rama said it’s up to his predecessor, former mayor Tomas Osmeña, to answer that.
Castillo said he is now talking with the lawyers for the Chinese temple.
He said the lawyers agreed on the need for structural analysis for the four storey building before deciding whether to demolish a portion to give way to the city’s road restoration program.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
