Urban growth or chaos?

With the passage of time comes change.Progress has transformed Mango Avenue in Cebu City from a leafy street of  mango trees to an urban hodgepodge  of commercial enterprises  in present day General Maxilom Avenue.

Traffic buildup  has also  made this one of the busiest streets in the heart of the city, as jeepneys and taxis compete for narrow lanes with private vehicles.

The road remains  a magnet for more urban development, like the construction of twin condominium towers which aim to be, at a total of 101 floors, the tallest residential buildings  in Cebu.

Every January, the road is also taken over by pedestrians as part of the parade route of the annual Sinulog parade.

For all its busy-ness, the street has escaped the attention of urban planners.  Growth  has been allowed to spring up in confusing fashion with permits liberally issued.

Part of the problem is the lack of a dedicated, full-time planning officer in City Hall and an Office of the Building Official that works from the logic of a comprehensive development plan.

Offices that issue permits don’t coordinate with the zoning board or the Treasurer’s Office which tracks tax delinquencies.

September being the celebration of Mega Cebu Month, which advocates well thought-out transboundary planning and growth in  traffic, drainage, infrastructure etc.,  city leaders should take the opportunity to act with deliberate care and coordination with other mayors to restore  Cebu City to its prime.

General Maxilom Avenue today is a far cry from the quiet  promenade that Cebuanos took pride in  two  generations ago.

Bars and entertainment joints operate on the same strip as St. Theresa’s College, Iglesia ni Cristo, and the University of San Carlos-North Campus in what is considered uptown Cebu City.

These institutions preceded the adult entertainment spots and liquor joints that have mushroomed alongside them.

This has led   to a confused application of City Ordinance 1413  that bans the operation of establishments that sell liquor if they are located 100 meters from a school, church or residences.

Sunday  dawn’s  brawl between two Papua New Guinea nationals  in a Mango Avenue bar brings to mind the July skirmish outside Kuerks Bar near the University of San Carlos (USC) where  a 16-year-old high school boy was bashed in the head with a rock.

That the suspected assailant is  a Cebu City councilor whose girlfriend is a co-owner of the bar  underscores how City Hall’s priorities can be skewed by a conflict of interest.

As regulators of business enterprises and urban development,  Cebu City officials  have  to be clear about their vision: What kind of growth do you want?