Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic.- Some residents of the resort town Las Terrenas say mayor Jose Alexis Martinez allegedly harms the community’s tourism development and jeopardizes investors by opening public accesses to the beaches.

The residents Elvis Lino Bidó and Oscar Ogando said Martinez has unleashed urban sprawl in the accesses to the beach with actions they call populist, affecting large investments in the town.

They said projects such as Playa Escondida, being built at a cost of around US$1.0 billion, by seeking to open like a “steamroller,” a pedestrian walk, destroying what has been done and affecting what’s being done to spur tourism development.

Bidó said the authorities cannot allow the mayor to do what he pleases, without taking into account that tourism is the most expeditious path to community development. “It’s not possible to allow a mayor to affect the growth and development of our community, which now has the opportunity to receive large investments to reach it.”

Others complain of the way in which the city official wants to involve the community, alleging that his action aims to benefit it, but affirm that it’s totally the opposite.

And while some suggest listening to investors and keep the mayor’s decisions from affecting them, others call on the authorities for an urgent investigation to prevent a crime which “we the community’s residents would soon pay.”