By THE STAR STAFF
At a time when the approval of House Bill 663, which contemplates the appropriate regulation of the construction, installation and location of telecommunications towers in Puerto Rico, is being discussed, the Municipality of Lajas, represented by its mayor, Jayson Martínez Maldonado, expressed its firm and tenacious opposition to a proposal to install a telecommunications tower in the southwestern municipality without prior consultation.
“We want to make it more than clear that our Municipality of Lajas does not know who the proponent of this project is and has not been properly consulted regarding the possibility of granting an endorsement for a project of this nature on PR-117, Km 1.4, at the corner of Calle Javilla, in Barrio Santa Rosa,” the mayor said Wednesday. “The well-being of our residents and the preservation of our natural environment are fundamental priorities for our Municipality of Lajas. Consequently, we believe that any initiative that has the potential to negatively affect our community and our landscape must be carefully and responsibly evaluated and, therefore, discussed in a transparent manner with all parties involved.”
As of Wednesday, no dialogue had been established with the proposer of the telecommunications tower and neither had the Municipality of Lajas received sufficient information about the potential environmental, health and aesthetic impacts associated with the proposed facility.
“We firmly believe that the active participation of citizens and local authorities is essential in making decisions that directly affect our community,” Martínez Maldonado added. “As a municipal administration, we are very committed to safeguarding the best interests and well-being of the residents of Lajas. Therefore, we formally request that the process of installing the telecommunications tower be halted until proper consultation is made with the municipality and a full assessment of the potential impacts and benefits associated with this proposal is made.”
The mayor said the municipality is willing to collaborate constructively and openly in any future discussion on the subject, as long as transparency is guaranteed and the interests and concerns of the citizens are respected.