In May, many neighbors received a letter from Patronato Akumal Norte A.C., a group of neighbors led by Henning Bartsch, announcing a plan to develop Yalku Park, where our Community Center Building (currently housing the National Guard base) is located.

Patronato’s proposed development includes a Planetarium and a Cultural Center. While these plans are still in the development phase, Vecinos de Akumal Norte was not consulted on them and has many questions and concerns:

• Does Patronato or any of its principals aspire to take ownership of Akumal Norte’s common spaces?
  
• Have steps been taken in this regard with either Promotora Akumal Caribe (the company founded by Pablo Romero Bush to develop Akumal in 1975), the municipal government in Tulum, or any other entities?
  
• How would this proposal impact ownership and operation of the Community Center Building, which was built by Vecinos with member donations?
  
• Is there a potential for additional development of shops, restaurants, or residential units in our common spaces?
  
• Is our second park area, Pablo Bush Memorial Park at the southern end of Half Moon Bay, impacted by any of these plans?
  

Vecinos members include a majority of Akumal Norte property owners and Vecinos is proud to be the community’s representative with the municipal government in Tulum.  The mission of Vecinos is to protect and preserve the unique, laid-back character of Akumal Norte and provide the services and organization needed to do so. This includes protecting our common spaces from development that would increase traffic on our road and potentially create environmental issues from lights, solid waste, and wastewater.

Vecinos has worked constructively with Patronato for the past two years. Patronato has served as the primary interface with the Guardia Nacional and has helped Vecinos fund Guardia Nacional operations. In addition, Patronato has been helpful to Vecinos in developing our relationship with the municipal government in Tulum, and provided valuable assistance in obtaining official government recognition of our right to operate the Pluma security gate at the entrance to Akumal Norte that helps keep us all safe. Vecinos is grateful for Patronato’s collaboration in these areas.

Vecinos remains committed to working constructively with Patronato to further our common objectives for the community we all love, and to resisting development that would result in the loss of our common areas and changing the character of our community.