LOS PINOS UPDATE: August 25, 2017

Last month, ANA sent an official letter to Mayor Davalos, with copies to the relevant City Departments – Obras Publicas, Planning, Proteccion Civil, and Transito – requesting a written statement of City Hall’s response to the report of our Civil Engineer, declaring imminent danger of collapse where erosion has significantly undermined the Los Pinos pavement.

We want City Hall to go on record and take public responsibility:
Is there a danger to property and access…or not?

Obviously, once danger is officially recognized, some action must be taken.

Below is a translation of our second letter, which we sent last week.

Your ANA is reaching out to members of the local Spanish-language media to bring public awareness and opinion to bear on the problem.

We welcome your suggestions.  In the meantime, we’ll keep pushing for official recognition that a significant public safety danger exists and deserves immediate City Hall attention and action.

ANA’S SECOND LETTER TO MAYOR DAVALOS

Ing. Arturo DávalosPeña
PRESIDENTE MUNICIPAL DE
PUERTO VALLARTA, JALISCO
PRESENTE:

Dear Mayor, without leaving aside a cordial greeting, and representing the Amapas Neighborhood Association and the Amapas Junta Vecinal, I am writing to you once again, on behalf of the worry and concern of the neighbors regarding the undermined pavement located at  Sierra de Los Pinos Verdes street in Colonia Amapas.
As you well know, this street has been threatened for more than two years, because of the erosion of the hill immediately adjacent to the street, and the lack of maintenance on the private property, that because of its topography would require a retaining wall.  During that time,  the Amapas Neighborhood Association has called attention to the City through various documents, to the relevant departments regarding the property: lot 8 of block 519 of Colonia Amapas, with property code 102195.
At least 2 meters of pavement, in plain view, has already been undermined.  And, and in these rainy season days, more erosion of non-consolidated material has been observed.  In addition, in spite of no-parking signs, vehicles are constantly parked in the affected part, threatening the weak support that has so far prevented the undermined pavement from collapsing.
You know that this street is the only access to several condominiums, including La Cima III, Horizon and Terrazas del Mar, as well as other housing units that depend on this street.
It’s easy to see the damage in the street (from below), and the neighbors are very worried, so we requested an answer in writing:
What will be done to prevent the damage from growing?
Is it possible to have constant supervision by the sub-direction of Transito to prevent the cars from continuing to park in the affected area?
And most importantly, a statement that, according to your experience and the Director of Obras Publicas, the street and surrounding buildings are not at imminent risk, so we should expect the private property owner to take action whenever he decides?
A topographical study and a soil mechanics study would be very necessary to determine additional factors and soil conditions.  Is it possible for you to carry out such studies?
Engineer Dávalos, you know that the Amapas Neighborhood Association is a proactive and participatory Association that responds to the urban problems of the colonia.  We cannot ignore the fear of the neighbors and the continuing danger.  We have requested an answer in writing by means of an official notice regarding the position of the municipality regarding the state of the road, clearly indicating, if determined by the Public Works Department or the City Department that is deemed pertinent, that the street is not in danger of collapse due to the landslide, in order to have an official document that reassures our neighbors about the non-existence of risk because of some failure in road stability caused by the hillside condition of the lot in question.