Landowners oppose GLUC roadway decision

Landowners oppose GLUC roadway decision

By Laura Matthews • Pacific Daily News • January 4, 2010

Some Harmon Annex landowners are opposed to the Guam Land Use Commission's decision to grant Younex International sections of Dededo land to build a 100-foot wide roadway that they said will take away from their properties.

Ike Pangelinan, a 57-year-old landowner, said the commission did not adequately inform all the landowners in the area before making its decision at a Dec. 10, 2009 public hearing.

Meeting

The landowners called a meeting yesterday, and only one of them, Terry Aguon, said she received a letter from the Department of Land Management outlining how the parcels of land is to be used.

Now they are asking that the department call a meeting with the landowners and all the major stakeholders so they can share their concerns.

"They skipped me," Pangelinan said. "And right now it is already passed."

According to the letter sent to Terry Aguon dated Nov. 23, 2009, Parcel J and Parcel K, which includes several lots owned by various landowners, would be reviewed by the GLUC as public access or utilities right-of-way.

Right-of-way

"Should these easements be known as Public Access or Utilities Right-of-Way, it will allow for its improvement and placement of other critical infrastructure that will benefit you as well," the letter stated.

Some of the parcels and lots, which are located off of Route 3 in Dededo and known as the Harmon Annex, were transferred from the federal government to the Government of Guam and are under the administration of the Department of Public Works.

The planned easement would allow for Younex to develop a road that will be needed for the new Ukudu Workforce Village, which is a temporary workforce housing facility for thousands of foreign laborers needed for the military buildup.

'Terrible' decision

Aguon called the land commission's decision "terrible." She noted how for one small plot of land, Lot 5315, the planned road cuts through it.

Many were left with questions they said need answering.

"Under what circumstances did they sign off on that thing? How did it get that far?" Michael Aguon, 46, asked at yesterday's meeting.

Department of Land Management officials could not be reached for comment yesterday.

David Tydingco, senior vice-president for Younex, said they, too, are experiencing similar problems that the landowners are facing.

"When we got the property, it also identified that we had limitations on how we can build our facility because pre-existing easements were there," Tydingco said. "So we are under the same dilemma that the other landowners have. We are very limited to how we can develop our property based on the easements that were pre-existing when we acquired the property."

He added that Younex has no choice but "to follow the authorities on this."

Housing facility

Last month, a South Korean construction company signed a $200 million contract with Guam-based Younex Enterprises Corp. to build an 18,000-bed facility in Dededo to house the thousands of temporary workers coming for the buildup.

The deal was signed by STX Group Chairman Duck-soo Kang and Younex Enterprises Chairman Kil Koo Yoon on Dec. 22, 2009. The housing facility will be located in the Harmon Annex adjacent to the Navy's South Finegayan family housing facility.

Younex already started the site surveying and preliminary groundwork that would lead to the opening of the first phase of the project in October 2010. It is expected to be completed around 2013 and require about 400 workers, according to Pacific Daily News files.