The observation tower above Velenov will be built, decided the citizens in the referendum

Velenov (Blanensko) - A 65-meter high lookout tower should rise above Velenov in Blanensko next year. Citizens of the local municipality decided this in a referendum. 88% of the 171 voters cast their votes, with 60% of them in favor, reported the municipality's mayor Jan Havelka, who expressed satisfaction with both the turnout and the result.
    The lookout tower, provisionally named Velenka, is projected to cost 20 million crowns. A referendum was held because the citizens did not have a unified opinion and about a third wanted to vote on the observation tower. "Some of them were concerned that the municipality would go into debt because of the project," Havelka stated.
    Velenov is located in the highest parts of the Drahanská Highlands, near the highest hill Skalka, which rises 735 meters above sea level. On a clear day, you could see Vienna, 140 kilometers away, from the tower. The town hall has 15 million from the sale of municipal forest and wants to obtain the rest of the money from grants. It will probably apply for contributions from the European Union. The next steps will be decided by Wednesday's council meeting. "We could start building in the autumn, but I think it will be next year," Havelka said.
    The plan arose after Velenov sold the forests it had in the Central Moravian Forestry Cooperative Niva. He did this because there was a threat that a private company would become the majority shareholder, limiting the municipality's ability to co-decide about the cooperative.
    Velenov's goal was to invest the money gained to generate profit. The councilors decided on the construction of the lookout tower. They estimate that it could attract 10,000 tourists annually, which would mean an annual income of 200,000 crowns with an entry fee of 20 crowns. Around 20,000 tourists head to the region every season, while the nearby Moravian Karst welcomes about 400,000 each year. The lookout tower is planned to include a restaurant, which would provide additional profit. The municipality owns seven hectares of forest around the planned construction site.