Dozens of people in Olomouc protested against the construction of a high-rise building

Olomouc - Several dozen people protested today in the center of Olomouc against the intention of the company SMC Development to build the Šantovka Tower, a high-rise building, not far from the city's heritage reserve. The organizers of the public gathering claim that the developer has already obtained important permits and can continue preparing for the construction of the 75-meter high building, which they believe would damage the historical skyline of the city. The last protest against the Šantovka Tower project took place in Olomouc in the autumn of 2013, when hundreds of people took to the streets.

People who oppose the construction of the Šantovka Tower gathered today at Horní náměstí near the town hall. Some of them came with banners. "Whoever supports the skyscraper will not get our votes!" proclaimed one of the banners. The protest action was organized by the local initiative Citizens Against Šantovka Tower in collaboration with the association For Beautiful Olomouc. Martina Mertová from the association For Beautiful Olomouc told ČTK that the investor recently received the fourth favorable opinion on the Šantovka Tower project from heritage officials at the municipal office. The planned building has been slightly shifted, but according to Mertová, it still stands in the protective zone of the city heritage reserve.

The Šantovka Tower has been a topic of heated discussion in Olomouc for several years. Heritage officials and some experts oppose its construction, arguing that it may damage the historical skyline of the city. The investor has an opposite opinion. The long-prepared change to the zoning plan, which was supposed to set height limits for buildings close to the historical center, was ultimately not discussed by the Olomouc council in June. Height regulation would have prevented the construction of the Šantovka Tower.

Therefore, the organizers of today's protest demand that the city council issue a temporary building ban in this part of Olomouc and that the council reconsiders the change to the zoning plan. Recently, representatives of five political parties and movements also called on the city hall to issue a temporary building ban. The council is expected to discuss the ban on Wednesday.

The construction of high-rise buildings in the protective zone of the heritage reserve was previously prohibited by the Ministry of Culture, which was then reflected in the new zoning plan from 2014. However, the court later annulled the height regulation of buildings around the center of Olomouc. It gave the city hall until the end of 2015 to justify the permitted building heights in the zoning plan once again and better. However, the amendment to the zoning plan was delayed, so the height limits ceased to apply from January 2016.