The new district should preserve the original characteristics of Bento Rodrigues to the highest extent
At a meeting held on Thursday (02/08), in Mariana (MG), the conceptual urban project of the resettlement of Bento Rodrigues (MG) was approved by the community with 99.44% favorable votes. Out of a total of 180 valid votes, 179 agreed to the proposal and only one was against. The assembly was attended by representatives of the state government agencies – State Department for Towns and Regional Integration (SECIR) and State Department of Environment and Sustainable Development (SEMAD) – of the Municipal Government of Mariana, the Municipal Council, the Archdiocese of Mariana and the Prosecution Service of Minas Gerais (MPMG). As defined by the commission, the agreed minimum quorum was 75% (169 families), requiring approval by 70% of those present.
The approved project followed the guidelines pointed out by the Bento community during a consultative process that involved the Commission of Affected Parties and the technical advisory body Caritas. The design of the urban project, the definition of its size and limits, and the distribution of streets and blocks were defined based on two other proposals presented and widely discussed in 23 workshops, held in November 2017 with 164 families. The suggestions of the community that were shared during the activities were considered and included in the design approved at the meeting.
The new district should preserve, to the highest extent, the original characteristics and the patrimonial, urbanistic and cultural aspects of Bento Rodrigues, especially the neighborhood relations. According plans, the resettlement will occupy an area of approximately 98 hectares. The Lavoura site was selected by the community in May 2016. The urban project was approved in January 2017, but some adjustments were necessary. Those adjustments were considered in the two proposals presented to the community during the workshops.
NEXT STEPS
After the approval of the urban project, the Renova Foundation will continue the resettlement process of Bento Rodrigues. The next step is to complete the engineering projects and environmental studies to file the application for environmental and urbanistic permits. Now, regarding the community the specific issues of each family will be handled.
DYNAMICS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The general assembly for the validation of the urban project of Bento Rodrigues was organized in two sessions. After the accreditation of the families, participants recalled the steps taken to construct the project, through the technical recovery of the expectations and premises that resulted in its construction. The affected parties were given maps with explanations about the proposal, showing how the most quoted expectations in the workshops are being met.
The voting was secret, by means of individual ballots deposited in an urn. The whole voting process was independently audited to ensure smoothness and compliance, as well as verification of the applied methodology.