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CEBU CITY, Philippines - The Cebu City government has closed down four restaurants along Salinas Drive in Barangay (village) Lahug for failing to provide minimum parking space requirements for customers.
City Hall personnel Monday blocked off the entrances to Gooda Gooda Restaurant, Salinas Grill Restaurant, Dhara Tapsilogan and AA-BBQ Restaurant. Notices of closure were posted on the entrances.
?Closure orders on Salinas restaurants were served (yesterday) morning. This means that they can no longer operate their business unless they show to us that they have already made adjustments to correct the lapses noted during inspections,? said City Planning and Development Officer Nigel Paul Villarete.
Villarete said the managers of the four restaurants were informed through a letter of their violations on January 4. The managers were given 15 days to correct the violations or provide good reason why the establishments should not be closed down and their business permits revoked.
The operators of the four restaurants were also ordered to submit site development plans justifying changes in the establishments? layout that were not reflected in the original plans submitted to City Hall. Officials earlier noted that areas designated as parking spaces in original plans were converted into dining areas.
The lack of parking spaces have forced customers to park their cars along the road, contributing to traffic congestion, especially on weekends.
?This is a violation of the parking and loading space requirements of the city zoning ordinance,? Villarete said.
Villarete said that after the 15-day period, none of the four establishments corrected the violations cited by City Hall.
Personnel from City Hall?s Squatters Prevention Encroachment and Elimination Division delivered the closure orders yesterday morning.
Personnel from the City Traffic Operations Management later set up barricades in front of the restaurants.
A poster which reads, ?This establishment is closed,? was posted on all four restaurants.
