Moviment Graffitti, together with residents, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, and other organisations, have expressed their disgust at Michael Stivala’s proposed 11-storey hotel within a residential zone in Sliema, recommended for approval by the Planning Authority.
Stivala’s proposal would tower over the historic gardens of Villa Bonici, the last remaining green lung in Sliema, and be a cause of added congestion and noise pollution in an already overburdened residential area. We echo the residents’ anger in noting that the case officer that is recommending the project for approval acknowledges that a tourist establishment is not accepted by policy within the zone, but states that since there are other tourism establishments in the vicinity, this proposed project can be deemed acceptable. However, the buildings in the immediate vicinity all around the site’s perimeter and the block within which it is situated are indeed solely residential.
Residents in particular voiced their concern over the way in which Michael Stivala, chair of the Malta Developers’ Association, has operated in his ventures across Sliema and Gżira, with total impunity, arrogance, and disregard for residents. Stivala’s presence on Parisio Street so far has already been mired in illegal and irregular works, which saw him bulldozing decades-old trees and an old stone well, tearing down part of a vernacular farmhouse, as well as jeopardising the integrity of the Villa Bonici garden walls in order to run the plot as a private car park, works which he then applied to have partially sanctioned, with no repercussions.
It is difficult not to question whether the PA truly seeks to act “on behalf of the community to provide a balanced and sustainable environment”, as per their mission statement, with their bending of policies and weak to non-existent enforcement. We also ask when the PA will take heed of the recently published fact that we do not expect to have enough demand for the number of hotels already in operation, and therefore approving more such projects is illogical.
The public, as well as organisations supporting them, have no faith in Michael Stivala’s word, nor in the PA’s enforcement of regulations, and they will not be won over by talk of an agreement that would see Stivala maintain a pedestrian passageway and a storm-water culvert linking upper and lower Parisio Street. Therefore, they will be using all means possible to keep Stivala’s towering hotel from being developed.
The press conference was attended by residents, with the participation of Moviment Graffitti, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Grow 10 Trees, Din l-Art Ħelwa, S-Cubed, Friends of the Earth, and BirdLife Malta. The Planning Commission meeting deciding on this development proposal will be held on Tuesday 22nd November at 11:30.
LE għall-lukanda massiċċa ta’ Stivala f’żona residenzjali
Moviment Graffitti, flimkien mar-residenti, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, u organizzazzjonijiet oħra, esprimew id-diżgust tagħhom għall-lukanda ta’ 11-il sular proposta minn Michael Stivala f’żona residenzjali f’Tas-Sliema, rakkomandata għall-approvazzjoni mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar.
Il-proposta ta’ Stivala se titfa’ f’dell il-ġonna storiċi ta’ Villa Bonici, l-aħħar pulmun aħdar li fadal f’Tas-Sliema, u tkun kawża ta’ konġestjoni miżjuda u tniġġis tal-istorbju f’żona residenzjali diġà mgħobbija żżejjed. Intennu r-rabja tar-residenti meta ninnutaw li l-case officer li qed jirrakkomanda l-proġett għall-approvazzjoni jirrikonoxxi li stabbiliment turistiku mhux aċċettat mill-politika taż-żona, iżda jgħid li peress li hemm stabbilimenti oħra tat-turiżmu fil-viċinanzi, dan il-proġett propost jista’ jitqies aċċettabbli. Madankollu, il-bini fil-viċinanza immedjata madwar il-perimetru tas-sit u l-blokk li fih jinsab fil-fatt huma biss residenzjali.
Ir-residenti b’mod partikolari esprimew it-tħassib tagħhom dwar il-mod li bih Michael Stivala, chairman tal-Malta Developers’ Association, mexxa fl-impriżi tiegħu madwar Tas-Sliema u l-Gżira, b’impunità totali, arroganza, u disprezz lejn ir-residenti. Il-preżenza ta’ Stivala fi Triq Parisio s’issa diġà kienet karatterizzata b’xogħlijiet illegali u irregolari, fejn ħarbat siġar ta’ għexieren ta’ snin u bir antik tal-ġebel, waqqa’ parti minn razzett vernakulari, kif ukoll ipperikola l-integrità tal-ħitan tal-ġnien ta’ Villa Bonici sabiex imexxi l-plott bħala parkeġġ privat, xogħlijiet li mbagħad applika li jkunu parzjalment sanzjonati, mingħajr riperkussjonijiet.
Hu diffiċli biex ma tiddubitax jekk il-PA verament tfittex biex taġixxi f’isem il-komunità biex tipprovdi ambjent bilanċjat u sostenibbli, skont id-dikjarazzjoni tal-missjoni tagħhom, bit-tidwir tagħhom mal-politiki u l-infurzar dgħajjef li tista’ tgħid hu ineżistenti. Nistaqsu wkoll meta l-PA se tagħti kas tal-fatt ippubblikat dan l-aħħar li mhux mistenni jkollna biżżejjed domanda għan-numru ta’ lukandi li diġà qed joperaw, u għalhekk li tapprova aktar proġetti bħal dawn huwa illoġiku.
Il-pubbliku, kif ukoll l-organizzazzjonijiet li jappoġġjawhom, m’għandhom l-ebda fidi fil-kelma ta’ Michael Stivala, u lanqas fl-infurzar tar-regolamenti mill-PA, u mhux se jintrebħu b’diskors ta’ ftehim li jara lil Stivala iżomm passaġġ pedonali u kanal minfejn jgħaddi l-ilma tax-xita li jgħaqqad Triq Parisio minn fuq s’isfel. Għalhekk, se jkunu qed jużaw il-mezzi kollha possibbli biex iżommu l-lukanda ta’ Stivala milli tiġi żviluppata.
Ipparteċipaw fil-konferenza stampa residenti, Moviment Graffitti, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Grow 10 Trees, Din l-Art Ħelwa, S-Cubed, Friends of the Earth u BirdLife Malta. Id-deċiżjoni dwar l-applikazzjoni tal-ippjanar għal din il-lukanda mistennija tittieħed it-Tlieta 22 ta’ Novembru fil-11:30.
