LuccaLife believes that the Pardini administration should be strongly applauded for putting on hold the bidding process for installing several kilometers of proposed new barriers atop the city’s iconic Walls, a project initiated by the previous Tambellini administration just two days before the run-off election that brought new Mayor Mario Pardini to office June 27th.
The anomalous timing of the former mayor’s decision to install barriers (to prevent falls from the walls), combined with the Pardini administration’s desire to revisit the controversial project, led the council to decide to do an in-depth study of the situation and reassess the need for the project, rather than award the work that is estimated would cost the city up to 590 thousand euros. Thank goodness. Walls with barriers should trigger le Belle Arti to sanction the city.
The Pardini administration points out that it is under no obligation to award a contract for the proposed work: the city has the right to intervene at any time, both to revise or reduce the number of railings proposed, or to eventually rescind the bidding process altogether without incurring penalties.
Over the next few weeks, the Pardini administration intelligently plans to carefully examine the proposal for the vast expansion of barriers. They do, however, consider it essential to restore deteriorated embankments and install new multilingual signage warning of fall risks and advising the correct behavior for visitors to the Walls.
An onsite inspection by the city junta is already scheduled to take place in the next few days to verify on the spot the critical deficits and strengths of the restoration planned by the last administration. We appreciate their refreshing willingness to deal with the controversy.
Only after examining the project in detail by examining it onsite, atop the symbolic monument of Lucca, as well as after engaging in new discussions with subjects interested in carrying the project forward, will a decision be made that takes into account all aspects of the city’s needs, says the mayor’s office. We sincerely hope that ultimately a decision is made to restore the walls to their state before any tasteless barriers were erected. It is a monument that deserves respect.
