The city council of Arroios, in Lisbon, is analyzing the situation of the esplanades of the parish due to the complaints and suggestions of merchants and neighbors, since some want the continuation of these spaces and others their immediate withdrawal.
In view of the numerous questions, complaints and suggestions that are being received from merchants and neighbors, the parish of Arroios is reviewing the situation and the cases, one by one, in close collaboration with the City Council of Lisbon (CML). You can read in the response sent to the Lusa agency about the occupation of public space by the esplanades, in areas such as Intendente and Arroios.
In its response, the board began by explaining that it attaches “immense importance to the economic fabric of the parish, its actors and all the living forces.”
The executive acknowledged that without economic activities it is not possible to “grow and be better for everyone” those who live, work or visit there, emphasizing that restaurants and shops, in addition to hotels, “are the ones that contribute the most to the life of the community.”
In the parish there are 49 parking spaces, of which 43 were assigned by the CML on an exceptional basis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, although they are parking lots for residents, workers and visitors.
According to the board, with the “alleviation of the pandemic situation” accumulating complaints from neighbors in the area who, “in solidarity, understood the need to give up a parking space during the most serious phases of the pandemic, but now ask that the same space be returned to them”, trying to protect the rights to rest and parking.
On the other hand, added the municipality, the merchants have also complained about the deadline to remove the terraces -until the end of the year-, intending to continue beyond what is established by the exceptional measure decreed by the CML.
While the complaints of the merchants are fundamentally related to the maintenance of the occupation of the parking lot, values and profitability of the establishments, those of the neighbors are related to noise issues, “sometimes until 3:00 am and 4:00 pm. 00 am”. just below their houses”, and with the fact that they have to leave their vehicles parked in neighboring parishes due to lack of space near their house.
There are already some public petitions, one by one request the continuation of the esplanades and others to request their immediate withdrawalin addition to “a ‘battlefield’ on social networks (places that are always very conducive to these things), where arguments for and against are fought daily,” said the directive.
Source: Observadora
