Residents of the Los Olivos subdivision in Tijuana’s La Mesa district are demanding the city’s XXV Municipal Government stop a construction project on Aries Street that they say is cracking walls and damaging the foundations of multiple homes.
Héctor Ignacio Montaño, who lives at house 43-A on the street, is among those reporting structural damage. Neighbors say the project, built on a steep hillside originally designated for stormwater drainage, has been underway for more than three years. They allege the city issued construction permits improperly and that municipal authorities have ignored repeated complaints.
Years of Cracks, Heavy Trucks, and No Answers
According to residents, the ongoing construction has caused fissures in nearby houses, while heavy trucks servicing the site have deteriorated local streets. Neighbors also report frequent accidents in the area linked to the construction activity. They say they have approached city officials multiple times without resolution.
The allegations extend beyond physical damage. Residents claim irregularities in the permitting process and in the conduct of city authorities overseeing the project. The specific nature of those irregularities has not been detailed publicly, but the complaints point to a broader pattern of lax construction oversight in Tijuana’s hillside neighborhoods.
A Recurring Problem in Tijuana
Tijuana has a long history of construction-related structural failures, particularly in hilly areas where soil conditions are unstable. In 2022, more than 270 homes in the Camino Verde neighborhood were declared at risk of collapse after ground cracks forced evacuations. Baja California’s Civil Protection agency has previously called the risk of landslides in Tijuana “an old and serious problem,” blaming irregular and poorly regulated development on uneven terrain with inadequately compacted soil.
In 2024, coastal residents in Playas de Tijuana gathered more than 2,000 signatures demanding a moratorium on large-scale construction projects, citing strain on water, sewer, and drainage infrastructure. The Los Olivos case fits this pattern: a residential area where existing homeowners say new construction is proceeding without adequate safeguards or accountability.
For property owners in the La Mesa area, the situation raises practical questions about recourse. Mexican municipal law allows residents to file formal complaints (quejas) with the municipal government’s urban development office. Residents can also request inspections from the local Civil Protection agency if they believe their homes face structural risk.
This story was first reported by Zeta Tijuana.