Coamo urges halt to development straining city resources

Coamo Mayor Juan Carlos García Padilla

By The Star Staff

Coamo Mayor Juan Carlos García Padilla on Wednesday passionately appealed to the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, the Planning Board, and the Permit Management Office, urging them to take immediate action to halt the endorsement of new housing developments along the city’s border with Santa Isabel. He expressed grave concerns that these burgeoning projects are exacerbating the strain on already overburdened essential services in the region.

“The approval of these housing projects only worsens an already critical situation instead of providing solutions,” García Padilla asserted. “The infrastructure for essential services has not been adjusted or renewed; it remains stagnant while the water crisis grips the entire country due to a glaring lack of foresight and planning.”

The mayor shed light on the interconnectedness of the developments in Santa Isabel with the existing water and power systems that serve Coamo’s communities, including Cuyón, Santa Ana, Palmarejo, Santa Catalina, and Los Llanos. He noted that these areas are already plagued by frequent service interruptions as the systems struggle to handle the excessive demand.

In a candid critique, García Padilla highlighted Puerto Rico’s persistent failure to implement effective urban planning, which has resulted in rampant urban sprawl. He pointed out the irony of thousands of vacant lots and derelict properties littering urban centers where the necessary infrastructure is already in place. “Concerning water supply, we no longer have enough resources to cater to so many customers. The piping is outdated and in disrepair, leading to constant breakdowns. Often, the water barely reaches our communities,” he lamented.

In his remarks, the mayor also underscored serious concerns regarding the electrical grid in Coamo, indicating that only the Useras transformer along with lines 100 and 200 are in operation. He expressed alarm that the three essential redundant lines needed to accommodate the rising demand have yet to be constructed. This situation raises significant worries, as linking new residential developments to the aging infrastructure poses considerable risks to the well-being of current residents.

García Padilla earnestly called on state agencies to cease new housing permits and redirect their efforts toward revitalizing already developed urban areas. He emphasized the urgent need for a concerted focus on ensuring that sustainable, adequate basic services are delivered to the communities that rely on them.