Juan Francisco Reverón Villalba is widely acquainted with Arona, particularly Los Cristianos. Until 2021, when he passed the baton to Miguel Villarroya (Spring Hoteles), he served as the president of the Compensation Board of the El Mojón Partial Plan. He regards it as “more than a mere partial plan, but a significant city, covering over one million square meters.” He expressed his satisfaction that it can finally be unblocked after nearly 30 years, stating that “licenses will commence being issued within a year,” during an interview on Onda Tenerife yesterday.
In Reverón Villalba’s view, “the El Mojón Partial Plan has not been halted, but the conversion of rustic land to developable land is extremely challenging, particularly in the Canary Islands, where the process consumes an extensive amount of time due to stringent regulations. The Compensation Board was established in 2001, and the land assigned to them and the corresponding public areas were distributed to the owners. However, numerous legislative changes have occurred, and perhaps El Mojón is the first to conform to the Special Territorial Use Plan for Tourism of the Canary Islands, undergoing a moratorium and the successive alterations to the plans.”
He also mentioned, “In 2021, I decided not to seek re-election and instead advocated for a prominent figure like Miguel Villarroya, aiming to maintain the unity of all the landowners, as there is considerable opposition and envy directed at hindering the development of Arona and diverting investments to other municipalities, a feat they have managed to accomplish.”
“El Mojón was conceived not only to construct three or four hotels, but also to facilitate the expansion of the small town of Los Cristianos, encompassing large areas for the construction of schools, a cultural centre akin to the one in Santa Cruz, and an Olympic stadium. Additionally, it was intended to cater to transportation needs, with a substantial road featuring two lanes for each direction, resembling a highway, on the road providing access to the port, for which we relinquished 70,000 square meters, entailing a multimillion-euro transaction with the Government of the Canary Islands,” he emphasized.
Reverón Villalba pointed out that “to dispel the misconception surrounding El Mojón, which portrays it as a venture spearheaded by vested interests, manipulation, and misinformation, it is the first partial plan to allocate 70 square meters of land/bed. Hence, out of the 500,000 square meters of private land, 10% is designated for public funds to facilitate housing construction. The maximum allowable density of accommodations does not exceed 9,000 units, equating to approximately 2,000 in four-star hotels, as only 250,000 square meters are available for construction without encumbrances.”
Furthermore, he highlighted that “only three or four hotels can be erected, no more, while in the South and North, detached homes will be built on plots of 300 square meters. It is poised to become the most significant urban project in the Canary Islands, acclaiming the architect Rubens Henríquez.”
Juan Francisco Reverón Villalba eagerly anticipates witnessing the urban development of his hometown. “Yes, I will witness it. Currently, an agreement initiated in 2016 has been rekindled, following the well-documented issues that transpired in Arona in 2020, between Mayor Mena and the Urban Planning Councilor, Luis García. Another agreement is now being presented to the plenary session, where the Compensation Board stipulates certain transportation works to be executed, and the City Council will commence the licensing process, which will not come into effect for another year.”
“I am optimistic, given the determination of the three-party government coalition to resolve this predicament. It is imperative not to impede the construction of the already completed two major parks in a tourist municipality or restrict significant areas for the development of Los Cristianos, with provisions for education, culture, and sports,” he underscored.
Complete
The Arona City Council is set to convene an extraordinary plenary session today to deliberate on the administrative files mandated for the endorsement of the urban planning agreement between the City Council and the El Mojón Partial Plan Compensation Board. This move aims to ensure adequate connectivity for both vehicles and pedestrians between the eastern and western sectors of the area, paving the way for the commencement of the urbanization works.
