Playa del Carmen Land Project Referred to Federal Authorities

Playa del Carmen, QR — A land clearing project by a company in northern Playa del Carmen has been closed again. This is the second time in a month that the project has been shut down for violations. However, this time it has been referred to federal authorities to monitor its progress and ensure environmental compliance.

On Monday, the Secretariat of Sustainable Environment and Climate Change of Playa del Carmen closed a property on Xcalacoco Avenue. According to Secretary Samantha Álvarez Hernández, the project was closed for not complying with the conditions of its permits.

The closure occurred on Monday after a weekend protest by area residents over the removal of trees and general vegetation. Álvarez Hernández said that the agency’s actions were in accordance with established protocols and in direct response to citizen complaints.

“About three weeks ago, we received a complaint from the public, we responded to that report and realized that indeed they did not have their plant removal permit, so we proceeded to close the property the first time,” she explained.

During this second closure, Álvarez Hernández said that fines were applied and that the company’s legal representative approached them to begin the process of regularizing municipal permits.

It was the second time the clearing project has been closed since it began a month ago. The secretary detailed that the company’s property consists of a total area of 45,153.7 square meters. They requested authorization to clear 4,289.3 square meters for the construction of a perimeter wall.

Álvarez Hernández explained that although they were issued a municipal permit, it includes strict conditions such as the obligation to notify the city about caves, cenotes, protected wildlife, or other relevant environmental elements detected during the work.

“Having a permit does not exempt you from being free to do whatever you want,” she said. “Permits have certain conditions that you must comply with.”

The official stated that the applied sanctions responded to the instruction of Mayor Estefanía Mercado to act firmly in the face of any environmental damage.

She also said that although the municipality lifted the closure order after initiating the corresponding procedures, the case was referred to the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) to verify the continuity of the project in accordance with federal laws.

The project to build a concrete wall around the property was allowed to proceed, but it has already been referred to Profepa. Meanwhile, the city will continue working with other authorities to ensure that all conditions are met and that the work remains within legal limits.