To the new local plan, Liberec received 1300 objections

Liberec - The concept of a new zoning plan, which is expected to be approved by Liberec by the end of 2015, received 1300 objections and comments from the city hall. The number is so vast that the committee for planning was unable to address many of them, and the city council will discuss them at a special meeting on January 19. The comments should be reviewed and guidelines approved for the development of the proposed zoning plan that the designers are to present in June. This was stated today by Jiří Rutkovský (USZ), the assistant to the mayor of Liberec for urban development.
    People mostly criticized the planned development of green areas or the possibility of building family homes in gardening colonies. Plans for some new roads also faced significant criticism. Signatures for the objection were collected by dog trainers in Pavlovice, where the zoning plan anticipates the construction of residential buildings on their training ground, and 512 people signed the gardeners' objection from the settlement below Hokejka, where construction is also planned.
    Two objections concerned, for instance, the bridging of a stream and the increase in road capacity in the villa district near the botanical garden, which attracted around 1200 signatures. "We see no reason for a bridge to be built there; we are concerned about the parameters of the construction that disrupt the character of the district," said citizen representative Zdeněk Novotný. They fear that with the widening of the street, traffic will increase in the neighborhood, which has a more recreational character. "We believe that the councilors will ultimately side with us and remove the proposal from the plan; it would be money wasted," he added. The proposal is also not favored by the environmental department.
    The current zoning plan of Liberec is from 2002 and its validity ends in 2015. By then, the city hall must prepare a new zoning plan according to the new construction law, which will also address the city's development over the next 20 to 30 years. "However, unlike other cities of similar size, Liberec has limited development options," stated Jiří Plašil, co-author of the concept and architect from the design studio SAUL, earlier to ČTK.
    The hundred-thousand Liberec is surrounded by the Jizera Mountains and the Ještěd Ridge. These are forested areas that are protected and cannot be built upon. There are also limited options for developing quality agricultural land. Furthermore, Liberec is unique according to Plašil for its green belts that extend from the mountain ranges and divide the development in the city. "We definitely want to preserve this greenery and allow as little development there as possible," added the architect. Nevertheless, the plan anticipates further development - in the coming years, up to 11,000 new apartments are supposed to be constructed. Ultimately, however, there will likely be fewer as the development of green areas is unpopular with both residents and environmentalists.