Kladno will approve the zoning plan no earlier than in 2013

Kladno - Kladno is preparing a zoning plan, which the representatives will first approve in 2013. The new zoning plan includes a reduction of industrial zones and expansion of residential development, said Mayor Dan Jiránek (ODS) to ČTK. Architects are currently processing several dozen comments on the draft plan. The opposition is already criticizing the document, claiming that it is too cheap and low-quality.
    "One of the outcomes of the new zoning plan will undoubtedly be the reduction of industrial zones, as we do not even have the current areas occupied by production," Jiránek stated. According to him, the plan aims to address traffic issues in the city, for example, by constructing a bypass through the former Poldi area.
    A significant change is said to relate to the possibility of placing buildings on the land. "We will regulate much more how much area can be built upon. It happens that entrepreneurs buy land in a residential area and then try to build an apartment building with a parking lot on the entire area," Jiránek explained. The zoning plan is reportedly designed to prevent further construction in housing estates or to allow the construction of family houses after the removal of the heap near the Švermov district.
    The city has received several dozen comments on the draft zoning plan, which architects now have to address. According to opposition councilor and former mayor Milan Volf (Choice for Kladno), the draft itself is low-quality due to its low cost. The city allegedly had it processed according to the cheapest offer for around 2.5 million crowns. The usual price for zoning plans for similarly large cities is around eight million, according to him. "When they contracted it for such a price, then the quality will correspond," Volf told ČTK.
    He raised concerns, for example, about the planned construction of a bypass for the Rozdělov district, which should direct traffic to the smaller industrial zone there. "Now there are family houses there, which it cannot lead through," Volf noted. According to Jiránek, most comments were directed at the bypass. "Just because something is proposed in the concept does not mean it will be approved in the zoning plan," Jiránek stated. He indicated that the bypass cannot be counted on in the future, as surrounding municipalities do not have it planned, and due to the slowdown in production, it reportedly already "lacks any sense."
    However, Volf argues that the concept includes other problematic issues. He mentioned, for example, the construction of a parking lot that is allegedly supposed to be built on the hill of the Sítenské valley. He also questioned the planned removal of the heap, where family houses should be built. He noted that people are not sufficiently informed about the creation of the zoning plan. "There are a lot of mistakes there," Volf added.
    The councilors are likely to address the concept, supplemented with comments, in the middle of the year, and the complete document should be approved at the earliest next year. The new building law mandates cities to prepare a zoning plan by 2015. In the Central Bohemian region, Beroun appears to have made the most progress with this document, where the new zoning plan includes changes mainly to the transport system. If approved, it is likely to come into effect this summer.