Playacar Development Faces Sanctions Over Wildlife Deaths

Playa del Carmen, Mexico — The Legacy residential development, located in the Playacar zone, is facing a sanction process from municipal and state environmental authorities after serious irregularities were detected in its land-clearing work, which resulted in direct harm to local wildlife. The most serious allegation concerns the death of three deer that were not relocated, despite authorization clauses that established protocols for the rescue and protection of species.

Authorities confirmed that the project failed to comply with the conditions established in its Environmental Impact Statement (Manifestación de Impacto Ambiental, or MIA), which prompted the work to be shut down three months ago.

Orlando García González, Director of Normativity and Environmental Impact Assessment for the municipality, explained that since the closure, a coordinated procedure has been maintained with the Quintana Roo Secretariat of the Environment and the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Procuraduría de Protección al Ambiente, or PPA).

"Let us remember that having an authorized environmental impact statement does not mean the freedom to do whatever one wants; these permits have specific conditions that must be complied with by law. If these are not respected, those responsible are subject to administrative sanctions and closures, and that is what happened in this case. It was a joint effort between the municipality, the PPA, and the state Secretariat of the Environment that was carried out in a timely and proper manner," stated the official.

The omission of rescue protocols resulted in the death of wildlife.

In addition to the ongoing state procedure, García González indicated that the City Council will impose administrative sanctions, considering the case a serious breach.

"The project ignored the conditions imposed in its environmental authorization, which cannot go without consequences," he stated.

According to the municipal agency, the permits granted to the development have been suspended, and no further work can continue on the property until the process of revoking the MIA, currently in the hands of state authorities, is concluded.

The official reiterated that real estate projects in Playa del Carmen must comply with strict measures to protect the natural environment and local biodiversity, particularly in zones like Playacar, which is home to wild species such as deer, coatis, iguanas, and endemic birds. The omission of rescue and relocation protocols, he said, represents direct damage to the ecosystem.

Work Suspended Until MIA Revocation Process is Resolved

The sanctions to be applied to the Legacy development are part of municipal and state policy to reinforce compliance with environmental regulations. The goal is to ensure that investment projects respect ecological balances and to prevent a recurrence of episodes like the one in Playacar, where a lack of protocols resulted in the death of wildlife specimens.

The case has reignited the debate surrounding real estate pressure in the Riviera Maya and the oversight mechanisms that need to be strengthened to ensure that permits do not become mere formalities.

According to García González, this procedure will set a precedent for developers to understand that the omission of environmental obligations carries sanctions and can even halt large-scale projects.