In 2007, “Drap is a municipality of 4,500 inhabitants. It is located in the Paillon valley, at the gates of Nice. It is a village that has developed quite harmoniously and has also retained its ‘village character’,” emphasizes the mayor, “25 years ago, we observed an increase in housing and construction in the Condamine neighborhoods, which went hand in hand with the settlement of the hills. Drap has a very diverse population that demands the development of values of diversity and community life.”
Nice-Premium: Mr. Morini, you have been the mayor for many years, how did your first candidacy come about?
Marc Morini: I was the deputy when my predecessor died. My colleagues wanted me to become the mayor. I did not say “no”. I was already involved in municipal management and local life.
N-P: What has this ‘profession’ taught you?
M.M.: Actually, it’s not a profession. It’s a responsibility. I am a farmer. Being mayor… it has taught me a lot of things. We have the chance and the burden of encountering people’s problems from their birth to their disappearance, the good and bad things, their hopes, their fears. Everything that makes life.
N-P: As mayor, what is the greatest reward you have encountered during your terms?
M.M.: Seeing people happy when we have achieved something. For example, when building a school or a facility. It pleases many people and serves them well.
N-P: In 2008, will you be on the electoral stage?
M.M.: We’ll see. *(Smiles)*
N-P: This year, will Drap have a new town center?
M.M.: It will start because it is a fundamental action. We have determined with the department, the region, and the municipality that we should not let the Condamine neighborhood fall into difficulty. Therefore, we have put a lot of effort into rehabilitation. We also believe that the town center has a role to play as a gathering place, where people meet, find public facilities, a daycare, schools, the Post Office, shops… spaces where one can park.
N-P: Precisely, a certain regional media wrote that in Drap it is not only difficult to park but also that it is a sunless municipality.
M.M.: Ah, that’s a geographical issue. Unless we shave off the mountains (Smiles). But, there are sunny places in Drap. There is certainly a valley floor that made Drap rich in the past along the departmental road 2204 since it was the road to Italy. That’s why at one time, Drap developed along the road. Then the population increase, that leads to an increase in vehicles, so we have a parking problem. Citizens need to meet somewhere, discuss. They shouldn’t ignore each other, avoid each other. The city center must become attractive but beautiful. A walk along the Paillon is very costly, so we will do it in stages: building the daycare, rehabilitating the accesses, the direction of traffic, the places of schools. We already made the roundabout due to the danger of the traffic. We start with what is essential. Then we will do physical constructions that will allow living together.
N-P: A performance hall?
M.M.: We have programmed it for a little later within the community of communes.
N-P: The high school too.
M.M.: Yes, it will be located at Fontanille, at the confluence of the two valleys. We had this idea to ask the region to build a high school. It’s something very important, not because we will have the glory of having built a high school but because by providing this very high-level facility, which usually is located in a city, we will bring knowledge to young people for decades. It will leave very long-lasting traces in the youth, the population. This high school will be at the confluence of the two Paillon valleys, in a place that will be served by buses and by the railway whose frequencies increase. This high school will be in a quiet, preserved area that is not very urbanized currently. It will alleviate the congestion in the East high school.
N-P: The good weather is coming. What does Drap have in store?
M.M.: The Spring of Poets has just ended. Soon, we will have the Martial Arts Festival. In the fall, we will have the 1st Detective Fiction Festival. We hope it will be a success. There will be novelists coming to meet the population. Currently, there is a lot of positive response from the writers. It will be very beautiful. Throughout the year, there are various events. At the end of the year, we hope to inaugurate the daycare and the stadium which will not be far from the high school.
N-P: What is missing in Drap?
M.M.: You have to ask the people of Drap. There is always something missing, for example, we need to make efforts on the roads, on local amenities, make parking lots…
N-P: Speaking of the project, what about the Tercier plateau?
M.M.: Ah! It’s a matter that resurfaces from time to time. It’s the Loch Ness monster. I don’t know if we should burden this fantastic place with things that will make it much more mundane. It’s not with high technology that we christen places and make them famous. These are projects that do not live with the local people.
N-P: A person from Nice wants to visit Drap, what route would you recommend?
M.M.: Come to the village to see the oldest side on the Place de la Libération and especially observe the beautiful views on the hillsides. But it all depends on what he wants to do, if he wants to meet people he should come to the square at Condamine. Otherwise, the Tercier plateau is also a prestigious circuit that I recommend.
N-P: To conclude, a few words to our internet users?
M.M.: Come to Drap because the Paillon valley is a dynamic valley that is full of projects.
