Zoning chaos roils icon Dominican capital upscale sector

Santo Domingo.- The nightclubs, “express drink” bars and other noisy businesses popping up all over the Dominicancapital’s upscale residential districts is worrying its residents, so much sothat some already threaten to resort to any means to get them shuttered "atany cost."

Outlet listin.com.do reports that n recent months thosebusinesses have spread throughout the city, bringing with them insecurity andunease to families living those sectors, both by their din and the type of “customers”who frequent them.

One example is the Moriqueta Liquor Market in Piantini,where residents say it threatens the peace and security of the sector’s morethan 150 families.

"Next to a family residence, and in front of another buildingof eight floors just meters away in a purely residential area, under noargument can be understood that it’s wrong and in an inadequate place, that abusiness with improper installation, come dynamite our live, "says aletter signed by eight Piantini neighborhood councils to Listin Diarioeditor-in-chief Miguel Franjul.

They said every day at dusk the noise and nuisance havetaken over the neighborhood for months, creating spectacles and unease right attheir doors. "On the interest and willingness of others, Piantini hasbecome an unfortunate neighborhood with loudspeakers bursting with decibels,alcohol and smoke, excesses, vulgar and excessive strident shouting and raisedvoices, bottles and garbage.”

They said they’ve seen the decay of Piantini’s main streetsfor months, where they can’t even sleep in peace and instead “an insufferableand insane nightmare.”

"Even more … How to understand that an unfortunatebusiness, out of place without minimum conditions of infrastructure which violatesour family investments, for that matter which even Internal Taxes recognizes asan upscale urban space?"