- The campaign begins to demand the maintenance of a 15th-century historical building and the relocation of a housing for its neighbors. Adif wants to demolish the tower house to build the TAV and, in return, has offered a "ridiculous" amount of money to the citizens who have been evicted.
On the Okendotegi promenade of Donostia-San Sebastian, very close to the Ergobi district of Astigarraga, the Urumea hid an architectural treasure that has so far gone quite unnoticed: Casa Torre Erbetegi, one of the oldest civil buildings in Donostia-San Sebastián. This week the Ancora Association highlighted the historic value of this house and asked the City Hall of Donostia-San Sebastián and the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa to maintain the necessary archaeological controls.
Neighbours have reported that an elderly woman has recently died, “partly because of the anxiety caused by this situation”
Families living in the area have denounced that a last-minute change in the TAV project will lead to the demolition of the building by ADIF. A collection of signatures has now been launched to require public society to return to the initial rail route and to keep the tower house in place.
However, they have denounced that the City Hall of Donostia-San Sebastian has only offered them social rents. Among the neighbors there are those who are still paying the mortgage for the work done for the rehabilitation of the historic building, as well as those who are in “vulnerable economic situation”, pensioners and children.
Anxiety
In December they attended the City Hall of Donostia-San Sebastián and an elderly woman explained their situation: “I’m alone and I can’t walk.” Neighbours have reported that this woman has recently died, “partly because of the anxiety caused by this situation.” In the municipal plenary held at the end of January an attempt was made to transfer this gravity to councillors and mayors, but the mayor, Eneko Goia, did not give them the floor.
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Asked about the information that the Ancora association has published this week about the value of the tower house, the mayor has responded to Irutxuloko Hitza that “will study” the issue, but that “draws attention” is not mentioned in the urban plans. On the contrary, as ARGIA explained on Wednesday, the history of the Erbetegi tower house was already well studied in 2005, in a specialized magazine of Donostia (pdf). Surprisingly, it has not been listed in the Special Plan for the Protection of the Built Urban Heritage.
According to Goia, in view of the situation of the neighbors, the laws are "limited" to mediating exclusively. But the neighbours around Okendotegi are clear: they too are citizens of Donostia and call for a dignified solution.