Mérida, Yucatán — Some Centro neighborhoods, perfectly peaceful a few years ago, have become nightclub hot spots, much to the chagrin of both Meridanos and expats.
A community meeting to discuss the clash will include an attorney who works in this area of the law. Representatives from a non-governmental organization, the Council for Human Rights, will also be present to answer questions and suggests strategies.
Interim Mayor María Fritz Sierra has been invited, but has not committed to attend.
Some of the most desirable neighborhoods in the Centro Histórico have changed drastically in the last three or four years. Formerly low-key bars, or even spaces that had been used as private homes and offices, have been allowed to be transformed into loud clubs that blare music past 3 in the morning.
One warehouse space, for years a perfectly compatible neighbor to a Merida-born man, his wife and infant daughter, was made over into a trendy bar, its music bleeding through a shared wall. The family was forced to abandon the property. Another couple bought their home just months before a seemingly benign lot next door became an all-night open-air bar with live entertainment.
The bars have their defenders, who say the Centro is an important incubator of young musical talent.
The municipal director of Urban Development, Aref Karam Espósitos, said that city will work on Land Use modifications to address the conflict. But he has also stated that clubs bring life to the city and are good for the economy.
Attendees are asked to bring a brief written description of their specific problems with the bars, whether it’s noise, garbage or crime.
The meeting, at least the third of its kind, is 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29, at Hotel Casa San Angel, on the Remate del Paseo de Montejo.
