Coastal areas and building regulations & law in Costa Rica

However, there have been isolated problems reported on construction within the coastal areas that lacked the needed building zoning plan that was approved by the government. The “plan regulador” must be acquired in order for the construction to continue. However, some developers seemed to be catching up with time and quicker way to gain profit by pushing through with the project without the necessary paperwork.

If you are interested to have your very own property located at Costa Rica’s coastal areas, you need to be aware of the requirements in order to have one. This guarantees a smooth flow of your plans and friendlier atmosphere between you and the authorities.

The aforementioned problem is reportedly rampant in Tamarindo beach, one of the most prominent coastal areas in Costa Rica. The problem began to grow since there was a lack on Municipal zoning plans. This means that the builders considered the area to be “free for all” and does not need the required documentations to proceed with the project.
To make matters worse, there was an influx of investors and buyers from nearby countries such as North America. This jacked up the prices of the lands which mean that only the privileged were given the chance to purchase the properties. The consequences were not thought of by the builders, only the profits were taken in consideration.

This resulted to the losing of the “blue flag” status by the Tamarindo beach. This took place in February this year and it grabbed the headlines at that time. The program called “blue flag” was implemented by the Costa Rican Department of Water and Sewage. The beaches or coastal areas that don’t have harmful substances that contaminate the waters are given this status. However, the “blue flag” was reversed for the beach due to high levels of fecal contamination. The owners and builders were naturally concerned with this development and currently, several projects are being done to clean up the affected coastal areas.

Moving on to the zoning plans, it is something that you need to take up with the local government unit (municipal) where you are planning to purchase a property (mainland or coastal area-wise). Please be aware that a number of these local government are not yet equipped to main these programs that’s why you need to coordinate with the officials from the national level regarding this. This serves as an added protection for you since you are a foreigner that is extending interests in the country. Always make sure that you are accompanied by a qualified lawyer.
Costa Rica President Oscar Arias released an Executive Decree last April. According to the directive, restrictions on construction projects have been imposed on coastal areas. This is a mandatory ruling and that local governments will adhere to this.

Here are some important points of the decree:

• The Public Zone Area has been set at the first fifty meters from the beach (high tide) – no construction of any kind is allowed.
• Restricted Areas have been imposed from 150 meters after the public zone area has been marked (roughly 200 meters from the beach area – high tide) – buildings up to three stories are allowed to be constructed.
• Intermediate areas have been set about 800 meters from the end of restricted area – buildings up to five stories are allowed to be constructed.
• Exterior zones have been set up to four kilometers from the intermediate zones – buildings up to eight stories are allowed to be constructed.

The directive did stress that the government still respects the natural resources thus it will still impose its responsibility in making sure that the approval of the projects are made after strict probity checks.