El Vendrell shifts gas station site plan from plaza to parking

The El Vendrell City Council has announced a change in plans for the site of the former Cal Julio gas station. Two years after Mayor Kenneth Martínez initially announced that the space would be converted into a public plaza near the Municipal Market, the project has been redirected to create a regulated, short-stay parking area.

Mayor Martínez stated that the change is part of a broader urban intervention funded by European subsidies. He explained that a definitive decision on the space's use will be made following a comprehensive plan for the entire area, and the temporary parking will serve to support local commerce and market shoppers. The project aims to facilitate quick shopping through time-limited parking, with works expected to conclude in November.

However, the decision has drawn criticism from the Xarxa Vendrellenca group. The organization argues that the shift from a promised plaza to a parking lot demonstrates a lack of consistent urban planning and a failure to engage in consensus with citizens. They also questioned the necessity of new parking if the existing underground parking at the bus station remains closed despite previous government announcements of its reopening.