He supports the position of Torcuato M. Castro and Marcelino Aguon who oppose the rezoning of Susupe from village residential to village commercial so it can accommodate the Western Sales & Trading warehouse owned by Christopher A. Torres.
Sablan, in his letter to Zoning Administrator Douglas T. Wyatt, said legislators should repeal the Saipan Zoning Law if the zoning office will continue to allow warehouses in residential areas.
“We ask ourselves, is this project really a good and sound development and investment for our island?” Sablan asked, referring to Torres’ warehouse.
Only contract workers and immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are employed in the warehouse, Sablan added.
He said Wyatt should protect residential villages and be firm when rendering a decision.
Sablan also reminded Zoning Board Chairman Diego Blanco about his earlier statement.
“I hope Blanco doesn’t forget his comment in the Variety on March 17 when he was quoted as saying that his office ‘is ready to implement…aesthetic improvements.’ Is a warehouse an aesthetic improvement? Does he really understand the word ‘aesthetic,’ ?”
Sablan said he doesn’t want villages to be commercialized. “We live in a very small island environment — let us keep it that way,” he added.
He said the primary purpose of zoning is to segregate uses that are thought to be incompatible.
In practice, he added, zoning is used to preserve the character of a community.
Like Castro and Aguon, Sablan said the Zoning Office should “outright deny the application of Torres.”
He said Torres should go to the industrial areas where his type of business can be located.
