Suggestion - a new pedestrian zone in the Port

RE: Moratorium on Road Terraces:

http://agenda21-xabia.wikidot.com/moratorium-on-road-terraces

Whilst appreciating all that is being done to repair and improve the fabric of Jávea and the desire to bring together the three areas into a more cohesive image, it has to be said that the pueblo, the port and the arenal are very different and perhaps this is part of the charm of Jávea as a whole. Regulations which may be fairly applied in one area may cause great hardship in another.

Also, whilst it is essential to develop a town which will attract new businesses and more visitors; of equal concern surely has to be the maintenance of the small businesses run by families born and raised in Jávea over generations. It is to be hoped that within the new regulations consideration will be given to allowing exceptions where, historically, tables have always been allowed and where to remove them would cause great hardship.

Focusing on the port where we have spent the last seven of our twenty years in Jávea, we have watched a large number of family businesses closing down over the past few years and many others are already struggling to remain open.

To give one example, the small tapas bar/restaurant at the beach end of Avda Jaime1 has to our own knowledge been in existence for more than twenty years and we believe has been open for nearly forty. During all the many fiestas - religious, sports and musical events which form such an integral part of life in port, all of which take place in Jaime 1 square, “Picotea Port” is the focal point for participants and spectators alike, crowding the outside tables with family and friends. It is a very small property with room for only four tables inside the restaurant but traditionally has always had outside tables. As with some other long established small Spanish run bars their customers are primarily local Spanish residents whom they serve all year.

Ideally, of course, the whole square would be a traffic free area, which it often is during fiestas, but as that would appear impossible could some adaptation of road space be considered. In Plaza de Almirante Bastarreche, opposite Hotel Miramar, the pavement is very wide, providing outside seating areas for several premises without disturbing the traffic flow. Perhaps something similar could be considered for the short stretch between Calle Virgin de Loreto and the sea-front walkway.

There will undoubtedly be others warranting special consideration but we make our plea for a case where we know the closure of a local Spanish run bar which has existed for so many years would be a great loss to the community.

Valerie and Tony Rampton

18th April 2012

PICOTEA%20PORT.jpg
Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License