The initiative regarding the Šantovka Tower prompted the heritage inspection

Olomouc - The association Za krásnou Olomouc has requested the heritage inspection authority to verify the actions of city and regional heritage officials regarding the assessment of the planned construction of the Šantovka Tower high-rise building near the historic center of Olomouc. According to Martina Mertová from the Za krásnou Olomouc association, city officials, with their repeated approvals, are favoring the investor of the high-rise building, which, according to some experts, could damage the city's historic skyline. CTK is seeking comments from the city hall and the regional authority.

"We feel that the urban monument reserve is in such serious danger that only an independent expert from outside can help. That is why we submitted a proposal to the heritage inspection, which supervises state heritage care in Olomouc," said Mertová. She pointed out that the heritage officials of the city hall issued the third approval for the planned construction of the Šantovka Tower in June. The regional authority revoked the previous two approvals from the city officials. According to Mertová, this indicates a clear effort by the city officials to green-light the controversial project.

Mertová claims that the lawyer, who, in her capacity as a regional official, revoked the previous two binding opinions of the city hall regarding the Šantovka Tower project, has been removed from the case. "Allegedly, this was due to bias," stated Mertová, according to whom a new official will evaluate the third statement from the city heritage officials at the regional authority. Recent organizational changes at the Olomouc regional authority, which included transferring heritage care under the construction code department, also favor the Šantovka Tower investor, according to Mertová.

A building ban is supposed to prevent the construction of the high-rise building until the amendment of the zoning plan, which was considered last year for the lands around the building. However, its preparation will be delayed again. The councilors postponed the vote on the ban this week because, according to Mayor Antonín Staněk (ČSSD), it is necessary to better address some of the investor's objections.

According to opposition councilor Tomáš Pejpek (ProOlomouc), the city has been preparing the building ban for nine months. He believes that the arguments given by the councilors to justify the postponement of the vote on its declaration are untenable. "We are more inclined to think that this is the result of pressure from the investor on specific politicians and council members. It is very strong pressure. And that it is essentially a form of clientelism that prevails in Olomouc in this regard," thinks Pejpek.

The court abolished the height regulation of buildings in the vicinity of the historic center as of December 31, 2015. It gave the city time until the end of last year to better justify the permitted building height in the new zoning plan. However, the preparation of the zoning plan amendment has been delayed, so since the New Year, the height limits have ceased to apply.

The amendment to the zoning plan is likely to be approved only at the beginning of next year. Without a building ban, the preparation for the construction of the 75-meter tall Šantovka Tower can continue despite the fact that the new zoning plan does not account for high-rise buildings in the protective zone of the heritage reserve. There has been a long discussion about the Šantovka Tower. Heritage officials and some experts oppose its construction, claiming it could damage the historic skyline. The investor claims otherwise.