The Los Montes de Valdespartera Residents’ Association is calling on Zaragoza City Council to halt the project and revoke the license granted to the developer. Its spokesperson, Lorena Gregorio, described it as “intolerable” for a gas station to be located so close to homes, children’s parks and school routes. “Our neighborhood is environmentally sustainable, not only in terms of urban planning, but also in mobility and development,” she said during the demonstration.
Residents also say they have had to monitor compliance with the construction requirements. According to Gregorio, work at La Sabina roundabout was provisionally halted by a court on July 9, while work on Manhattan Street also remains suspended due to various breaches that the association says it is investigating. The deficiencies detected include a lack of signage, speed bumps, instructions regarding truck entrances and exits, and occupational safety notices.
THEY CALL ON THE CITY COUNCIL TO LEGISLATE
The mobilization comes after the City Council proposed meeting with residents to address their concerns. Gregorio said the association is willing to hold the meeting, although it wants the council to go beyond acting as an intermediary between residents and the developer. “What they need to do is legislate,” she said, criticizing the lack of meetings during the summer and arguing that public participation should carry greater weight in decisions affecting the neighborhood.
The voices of younger residents could also be heard among the demonstrators. “We want to play in the park, not dodge cars,” read some of the banners. Sara Ferrer, a student and Valdespartera resident, summed up the residents’ discontent: “Valdespartera is no place for gas stations; they are too close to children’s parks and residential buildings.”
