Efforts to revive CK village as Saipan’s capital pushed

As part of efforts to revitalize and modernize Chalan Kanoa, various government agencies are pushing efforts to revive the district as Saipan’s capital.

This idea was brought up during the presentation yesterday of the first ever Neighborhood Revitalization and Resource Directory to acting Gov. Eloy S. Inos by representatives of different agencies. The directory, which will be distributed to all government offices and major establishments, contains basic information about government agencies such as the kind of permits and licenses they issue and the services they provide the public.

“In the olden days, Chalan Kanoa used to be the driving town. Now it is being abandoned,” said former PSS commissioner William Torres, who is a consultant for the project.

He said this should be a major subject of interest because Chalan Kanoa is where many of Saipan’s historical assets are located.

“Honestly, I don’t even know where the sugar factory was located,’ he said.

Torres said the Neighborhood Watch Task Force was created to put under one roof all government agencies so they could begin communicating on how to revitalize Chalan Kanoa.

The project is being spearheaded by the Saipan Municipal Council headed by chair Antonia M. Tudela, vice chair/secretary Ramon B. Camacho, and councilor Felipe Q. Atalig.

Torres said reviving Chalan Kanoa from its present image as a “ghost town” to a traditional center of the island is just one part of revitalization efforts for the entire island.

The project will be extended throughout inner villages, enclaves, and hamlets on Saipan—with Chalan Kanoa as the starting point, he added.

Activities will include pothole repairs, junk vehicle and scrap material removal, debris removal, street sweeping, graffiti abatement, vacant lot cleanups, animal control management, storm water management, land use violations, zoning violations, fire safety inspections and other cleanup and beatification activities.

Inos advised the task force to look for a possible way to avail of the stimulus funding since some of the projects will need money to become a reality.

He said the next step would be implementation.

The Neighborhood Watch Task Force believes that this initiative would eventually lead to a sustainable local capacity at the village level for residents to participate in preserving and promoting the unique historic assets of the community.

Another goal is to promote environmental stewardship and enhance the physical and cultural characteristics of the villages in partnership with local government agencies, non-government groups, and the business community.

In attendance during yesterday’s directory presentation were officials and representatives of the Zoning Board, Office of the Mayor, Bureau of Environmental Health, Northern Marianas Housing Corp., and Department of Public Safety.