With the entry into force of the Special Plan for El Toscal, urban activity has been unblocked in the neighborhood, which has lived for almost 30 years waiting for a document that would regularize everything that can and cannot be done in this environment, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (B.I.C.). In order to expedite the possible licenses that, from now on, may be requested for the reform of properties that are not cataloged, the Municipal Urban Planning Management, headed by Guillermo Díaz Guerra, has proceeded to the Hiring a historian who is in charge of preparing the reports that must accompany these building permits.
As Díaz Guerra explained, “we lack specialized personnel, so we have proceeded to hire a historian with the aim of expediting the permits that are requested in the area of El Toscal.”
The first deputy mayor recalls that projects that affect listed properties, that is, protected by the Special Plan, must be submitted to the criteria of the Island Historical Heritage Area, which will have the last word in this type of licence. For those that are not catalogued, it will be the Urban Planning Management that, once the license has been requested, which must be accompanied by a study, will determine its concession, hence a specialist has been hired.
Since the entry into force of the Special Plan of El Toscal, there are many citizens who have been interested in the procedures to follow to carry out interventions in the historic complex, and at least a license for the rehabilitation of a country house has already been presented, precisely not catalogued.
In the coming months it is probable that a project for a housing development in the neighborhood will even be presented.
However, as the Councilor for Town Planning recalls, the great boost to the El Toscal neighborhood will come from the public endowments that are introduced in the Special Plan, which must be developed from the Santa Cruz City Council. These are parking lots, free spaces such as squares and parks, or the pedestrianization of the main streets.
Provisions to be made
With regard to endowments and equipment, the creation of a workshop school stands out, which will be located on block 253, with an entrance from San Miguel street; the construction of a kindergarten, to be developed in the old citadel on Señor de las Tribulaciones street, or a sports center built on two levels, one at the current ground level and a second level below it, at the semi-basement level. This last infrastructure will be dedicated to the training and competition of the federative sport. Under this sporting use a car park is planned.
At the moment, the only project that has been announced and that is likely to be developed this year is the pedestrianization of Santiago street in its entirety.
