The Heritage Inspection is reviewing the evaluation of the Šantovka Tower building

Olomouc - The Heritage Inspection has begun to examine the actions of city and regional officials regarding the assessment of the planned construction of the Šantovka Tower high-rise building near the historic center of Olomouc. This follows a letter from the director of the Heritage Inspection, Martin Zídek, a copy of which is available to ČTK. The inspection has thus complied with the request of the association Za krásnou Olomouc, which claims that primarily city officials are facilitating the controversial project Šantovka Tower with their supportive opinions.

"The Heritage Inspection is currently gathering documentation, specifically all case materials related to the aforementioned intention (Šantovka Tower), and will address possible violations of the Act on State Heritage Care in this matter," stated Zídek in a letter addressed to the association Za krásnou Olomouc.

Martina Mertová from the association Za krásnou Olomouc justified the proposal sent to the Heritage Inspection in August by stating that the municipal heritage officials issued their third supportive opinion for the planned construction of the Šantovka Tower in the protective zone of the city heritage reservation in June. The Regional Office had annulled the previous two approvals from city officials. According to Mertová, this is a clear indication of the city officials' intention to give the project the green light.

According to Mertová, the recent organizational changes at the Olomouc Regional Office, which included transferring heritage care to the building regulations department, also benefit the investor of Šantovka Tower. This part of the proposal will be investigated by the Ministry of the Interior, which oversees the performance of public administration.

A building moratorium is supposed to prevent the construction of the high-rise building until the zoning plan is amended, with discussions about its declaration on the land surrounding the construction starting last year. However, the preparation of the moratorium has been prolonged. The councilors postponed the vote on the moratorium at the beginning of August because, according to Mayor Antonín Staněk (ČSSD), it is necessary to better address some objections from the investor to avoid exposing the city to unnecessary risks of losing a legal dispute.

The city hall also wants to clarify the legal status of the protective zone of the city heritage reservation, the existence of which is disputed by some experts.

The court annulled the height regulation of buildings adjacent to the historic center on December 31, 2015. The city was given time until the end of last year to better justify the permitted building height in the new zoning plan. However, the preparation of the adjustment to the zoning plan has been delayed, meaning that since the New Year, height limits have ceased to apply.

The adjustment to the zoning plan will likely be approved only at the beginning of next year. Without a building moratorium, preparation for the construction of the 75-meter-high 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 reservation. According to some experts, Šantovka Tower will damage the historical skyline of the city, while the investor holds an opposing view.