Board to seek legal opinion on mall case

Local Zoning Appeals Board in their meeting last Wednesday agreed to seek legal opinion first before they take any action on the issue of Gaisano Capital Mintal that was recently closed due to lack of permits, especially the zoning permit.

Davao City Planning and Development Officer Ivan Cortez, in a media interview yesterday, said that the Local Zoning Appeals Board made their decision.

“The issue of Gaisano was tackled by the local zoning appeal board but it was deferred until such time that we can get legal opinion on the matter,” Cortez said.

The board, composed of members from the private sector, also opted to refer the case to a private lawyer.

He said still, the local government cannot allow the establishment to operate because they do not have the license to operate and even to construct the building.

Cortez said the Local Zoning Ordinance passed in 2013, purposely did not classify all roadside areas particularly in Calinan and Mintal to avoid the same scenario in downtown areas.

“We have classified as residential, and it just so happened that the owner of Gaisano did not ask the zoning of the area,” he said.

He added that the zoning permit could have been requested for the conversion of the lot for allowable use in the Sangguniang Panlungsod before the construction.