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On Thursday, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia, alongside Juncos Mayor Alfredo Alejandro Carrión and Planning Board (JP in Spanish) Chairman Julio Lassús Ruiz, endorsed the inaugural revised land use plan for the eastern central municipality of Juncos.
In a statement, the governor described the signing of the “Comprehensive Review of the Territorial Plan of Juncos” (RIPOT in Spanish) as “a pivotal step for the structured and sustainable evolution of the community.”
“With this endorsement, we secure numerous advantages for the residents of Juncos, including enhanced infrastructure with new roads and public services, safeguarding green spaces and natural resources, stimulating the local economy through new investments and job creation, advocating for affordable housing, and establishing more public spaces for everyone’s enjoyment,” Pierluisi remarked.
He pointed out that the Juncos RIPOT encompasses several crucial projects for the strategic advancement of the municipality, such as the development and functioning of the El Valenciano reservoir, vital for the drinking water supply in the eastern and central regions. Moreover, the plan features a 100-megawatt solar farm and the establishment of a solar panel manufacturing facility, both intended to foster renewable energy development on the island.
Within the tourism sector, the document envisions the establishment of a new hotel, enhancing accommodation options and facilitating the growth of tourism in Juncos. Pierluisi also emphasized the significance of Juncos in the pharmaceutical field, housing companies like Medtronic and Amgen that export products globally, as well as the critical role of the municipality’s agricultural lands in ensuring food security for Puerto Rico.
Lassús Ruiz indicated that the original Juncos Land Use Plan received approval in 2007, and the recent review ensures that the document is revised to meet the present and future conditions and necessities of the community.
“The JP team has been providing technical assistance to municipalities to ensure they possess this essential planning tool, enabling those with the document to refresh it,” he stated. “This has been accomplished with additional resources the agency has obtained through FEMA grants aimed at reinforcing adherence to codes and regulations post-Hurricane Maria. Territory planning is a broad and holistic process; therefore, the POTs are extensive documents that unify various aspects that need to be harmonized for a community’s economic development in synergy with its environment.”
