The greater metropolitan area (GAM) needs to renew a plan dating from 1982 to address overcrowding, sound, light and environmental pollution, poor waste disposal, and traffic chaos.
Nación.com reports that "After years of debate and millions of dollars spent on failed projects, environmentalists, public bodies, private companies and municipalities have reached a consensus on the GAM 2013 Plan."
A project by the Chamber of Construction proposes the creation of a residential lease that would allow home purchases without payment of a deposit.
"Currently the project is in the hands of the Ministry of Housing so that they can review and assess it and it is also being studied by a committee in the Chamber of Construction which includes the financial sector," noted an article in Elfinancierocr.com.
The Government of Costa Rica is preparing a third plan for land ordnance in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM by its initials in Spanish).
This was announced by Guido Monge, Minister of Housing and Settlements (MIVAH)."It is called Plan GAM 2013, and will be built on the remains of its two predecessors: the Regional Urban Plan for the Greater Metropolitan Area (PRUGAM) and the Land Use Plan (POTGAM) (the latter introduced in January this year) which never, because of their designs, reached the approval stage, " noted an article in Elfinancierocr.com.
From the March 17 processes for construction plans must be performed exclusively through the Construction Project Manager digital platform .
From a press release from the Association of Engineers and Architects of Costa Rica (CFIA):
From next Sunday March 17, the processing of construction plans will be done only through the Internet, as established in the regulations for Review of Construction Plans.
The development of the Greater Metropolitan Area in Costa Rica has been halted awaiting a new proposal to combine the interests of over 50 offices and organizations.
Nacion.com reports that approval of the most recent proposal for a land use plan has stalled, "while the executive branch tries to reconcile the clash of interests between the various sectors involved in the matter."
Opposition to the expansion of the boundary for urban development in the greater metropolitan area is preventing the necessary renewal of the rules for land use.
Led by the Ministry of Housing, the Territorial Ordering Plan for the Greater Metropolitan Area created by the Institute of Housing and Urban Development, is in a period of consultation.
"The issue is controversial because it determines the type of use land may be given.
The official proposals for defining urban areas in the Greater Metropolitan Area in Costa Rica, contains contradictions and generates uncertainty.
A second proposal for the Land Use Plan of the GAM (Potgam in Spanish), which has been released for public consultation by the Ministry of Housing and Human Settlements (MIHAS in Spanish), has generated more controversy and confusion over the new limits for an urban containment radius .
Today, a new tax for residences worth more than $170.000 (¢100 million) comes into effect in Costa Rica.
The law, dubbed 'Solidary Tax' ('Impuesto Solidario'), will tax luxury houses for ten years.
"Every three years, on the first 15 days of January, homeowners will have to update the fiscal value of their property by means of an electronic statement. It won't be deductible from income taxes", reports Nacion.com.