Santa Luċija residents organise for ‘long fight’ against Camilleri development

Residents in Santa Luċija said they will join their local council in a call to protest the development of 48 apartments and 78 garages in an open space of the locality.

The protest will be held Saturday at 11am in the area known as “l-għalqa taż-żiemel” in Katerina Vitale Street.

The local council has unanimously objected to the development, which residents said will mar the streetscape in an area where two and three-storey buildings are predominant.

“This proposal will destroy a green lung and drastically alter the streetscape. The design is excessive, bulky, and will have a negative impact on our quality of life,” the residents said in a statement.

“The surrounding blocks area have a maximum of 27 units between them, but developer Anton Camilleri wants to build 48 residential units and 75 garages in a single block. It’s as if the developer and his architect are unaware of the concepts of proportion and harmony, and have no idea of the site and its surroundings.”

The residents said they are “prepared for a long battle” and are calling on their townspeople to support the effort against the monstrous development.

“A Local Council meeting held two years ago at the Garden of Serenity about this development had an astonishing turnout, and residents of Santa Lucija have more than once shown their opposition to the development. Objections against the project exceed the thousand mark, and a petition circulated among residents gathered 1,500 signatures.

“We intend to fight to preserve our town and the spirit in which it was built, and also for our quality of life. Anton Camilleri and Daniel Micallef have only one interest in this town, and we will not stand and watch as they ruin Santa Lucija and its community,” the residents said.