Dénia opposes the construction of an international school in Jesús Pobre
The City Council of Dénia, with the votes in favor of PSPV, Compromis, and the non-attached councilors Álex Rodenkirchen and Julio Palacios, gave the approval to the report prepared by the municipal technicians that advises against the construction of an international college in the vicinity of Jesus Poor.
This project contemplated a construction of something more than 9.000 square meters in a plot of 57.000 square meters near the EATIM, an international center with capacity of 900 students. The land on which we want to build is currently non-developable for agricultural protection, so it is necessary to request a file of Declaration of Community Interest (DIC) that would allow us to build on that parcel. This file is processed by the Generalitat Valenciana, but the City Council yesterday approved an unfavorable report to get this statement.
The promoter and the neighbors took the floor
This issue generated an intense debate in the plenary session, which also involved a representative of the company promoting the school and a representation of the local residents. The company representative was surprised by this unfavorable report, since the council had previously issued a favorable report to the DIC statement. From the promoter defend that it would not cause a great impact landscape or interfere in the connector area of the Montgó Natural Park.
On the other hand, the neighbors of the EATIM, who carried posters against the construction of the school, read a manifesto defending the essence of people living in Jesus Pobre and requesting to take into account the denial of the neighbors to this proposal that they branded «operación inmobiliaria vestida de colegio internacional».
The project does not agree with the territorial model of Jesus Pobre
La concejala responsable de territorio, Maria Josep Ripoll, defendió el informe negativo elaborado por el Ayuntamiento porque «no concuerda con el modelo territorial de Jesús Pobre» y está «fuera de escala». Asimismo recordó que, de concederse el DIC, tendría una validez de 30 años, y este proyecto no es reversible, al tiempo que consideró el impacto ambiental y paisajístico que este proyecto supondría.
El concejal Javier Scotto tomó la palabra en calidad de Alcalde de la EATIM, apoyando a sus vecinos al considerar que este proyecto no responde a la idiosincrasia de Jesús Pobre porque, entre otras cosas, la previsión de personas superaría al número de habitantes de la EATIM. Scotto recordó que este proyecto «atenta gravemente contra la integración paisajística» y abogó por que se respete la voluntad de los vecinos de la entidad, contrarios a este proyecto.
Opposition tension
The non-attached mayor Alex Rodenkirchen considered that it is a «proyecto interesante» which has been widely debated in the Dénia circle, although they advocate looking for an alternative to the location because they consider it a project «que no se puede perder».
In this sense also agreed the Councilor of Citizens Sergio Benito, who regretted that the government team had not sat down with the promoter to look for an alternative location. The mayor of the orange formation made a long review of the history of this project and concluded by stating that «no ha habido intención de alcanzar un acuerdo».
For her part, Pepa Font, from GDCU, called for a referendum in Jesús Pobre to find out the opinion of the neighbors «con el compromiso de hacer suyo lo que salga de la consulta». María Mut, from the PP, was interested in the moment in which the City Council ignored the favorable report from the Department, a question that was not answered by the government team.
Finally the plenary approved the report, a document that does not advise the construction of the international school in that plot and which will now be sent to the Consellería, the body responsible for approving, or not definitively, the DIC declaration, the only possibility that this project to move forward.
