“A scenario of ‘no planning’ will lower property values. Developers and investors want to know that if they build on Saipan their investment will be safe,” Saipan Zoning Office Administrator Douglas Wyatt said in his recommendation to the board.
He cited many concerns with the proposed rezoning.
These include the severe loss of village residential zoning and the elimination of Beach Road, Garapan Core and Garapan East zoning categories.
“With more commercial activities becoming permissible the Zoning Board will have less input into the development process,” Wyatt said.
There would be a loss of political and social considerations in favor of simple technical review, he added.
But he said the new zoning map incorporated with the Zoning Board’s text amendment be adopted.
“The more sparing use of village commercial zooming along major road corridors will better address the deficiencies in the current zoning map,” he said, adding that the wide-spread use of a high intense commercial zoning category such as mixed commercial is a very “blunt” planning tool.
House Local Bill 17-26 was introduced by Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan. It proposes a number of boundary changes to the zoning map to allow for “more intensive uses.”
The Zoning Office said the measure would eliminate most of the zoning classifications designed to protect areas catering to tourists, and would rezone a large number of residential neighborhoods.
Wyatt said section 4 of the bill would drastically reduce the benefits of having an organized land-use planning program on Saipan.
“When ‘everything and anything’ are permitted then no progress can be made toward bettering Saipan and its economy through land-use controls.
Uncontrolled development will not benefit Saipan,” he added.
The zoning law, he said, is not so repressive or unjust that it should be destroyed.
But Zoning Board Chairman Diego Blanco said not all of the proposed rezoning is damaging to the zoning law.
He said they will submit the set of proposed text amendments and rezoning to the Legislature that will greatly improve how land is regulated on Saipan.
Also present during the Zoning Board meeting were vice chairman Jose T. Limes, secretary Edward Arriola Jr. and treasurer Alice S. Igitol.
