The council of Brno did not approve the update of the zoning plan due to Amazon

Brno - The Brno councillors today did not approve a resolution proposing updates to the zoning plan in favor of a logistics warehouse for the American company Amazon in the Černovická terasa industrial zone, said Pavel Žára, spokesman for the city council to ČTK. However, the key decision will be made by the assembly next Tuesday. The update is necessary because the current zoning plan does not allow for the construction of warehouses on the affected plots. Amazon had promised 1,500 jobs in Brno. However, in April, the online retailer declared that it does not count on Brno.
The assembly is to take the final step that would enable Amazon's arrival. On Monday, the government changed its resolution from 2003. At that time, it transferred the land to the city and stipulated that warehouses would not be built there.
Today's decision by the council was expected. While the ČSSD supports Amazon's arrival, the ODS has strongly opposed its placement in Černovická terasa. This is also why the sale of the land to the developer CTP Invest passed only on the third attempt; at the April assembly, the protest votes from the ODS, Greens, and Communists were not enough. "We continue to oppose Amazon's arrival. We do not think that such a massive warehouse belongs in Brno. The realistic opportunities for Brno residents are disputed," said Libor Šťástka, head of the ODS assembly club, to ČTK today.
How the voting will unfold next week cannot be predicted. As in previous meetings, it will depend on the attendance of individual representatives. If everyone shows up, it is likely that the update will pass. Klára Liptáková told ČTK today that six members of the Christian Democrats will vote in favor. Seven representatives from TOP 09 are also planning to vote the same way. "We will discuss it again on Thursday, but in general, we support Amazon's arrival, which is why we voted in April in favor of the land sale," said Jaroslav Kacer, head of the club, to ČTK.
Of the 19 representatives from the ČSSD, 16 voted in favor in April, which, combined with the votes from the Christian Democrats and TOP 09, would be sufficient. In the Brno assembly, 28 votes are needed for approval; this would give a total of 29.
Three Greens are strongly opposed. The Communists have not yet decided, but their four representatives did not vote for the land sale in April. The voting of the two independents, Petra Vítková and Jan Levíček, is in question. The ODS representatives hold 14 votes. "I expect that the update will pass. I am curious how TOP 09 will stand, which previously translated a document in March stating that the zoning plan cannot be changed hastily and carelessly. That it is necessary to discuss it with the citizens and not go against the opinion of the municipal districts. Meanwhile, Slatina and Černovice are against the update and Amazon's arrival," Šťástka said. Brno is also awaiting the approval of a completely new zoning plan in the near future.
However, whether Amazon will come to Brno even if the doors are finally open is not at all certain. Before the April assembly vote, it announced that it is currently not counting on Brno and now claims that it is looking for a suitable location in Central and Eastern Europe and is comparing them. While Mayor Roman Onderka (ČSSD) believes in the arrival just like his party colleague and Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, Minister of Industry Jan Mládek (ČSSD) is more skeptical. At the Brno Building Fair at the end of April, he stated that Amazon representatives want to operate where there is political consensus and not where a single vote decides their arrival. "They want to maintain good relations with the city's political leaders and have peace for business," Mládek said.