SMC Development filed a complaint with the NPÚ due to the high-rise building

Olomouc - The company SMC Development, which is preparing the construction of the new high-rise building Šantovka Tower near the center of Olomouc, has today objected to the actions of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ). The investor claims that NPÚ employees are acting unlawfully during the discussion of this project and are trying to stop the project at all costs. Therefore, SMC Development has sent a complaint to NPÚ, which will also inform the Ministry of Culture about it.
The NPÚ Scientific Council rejected the project for the high-rise building Šantovka Tower this week, which, due to its height of 75 meters, is supposed to share the position of the second tallest building in the city with the town hall, because it would significantly harm the panorama of the historic center of Olomouc. The management of the Olomouc branch of NPÚ also criticized the project, claiming that the plan contradicts the principles of development of the Olomouc region, the regulatory plan of the urban heritage reserve, and the regulations of the Ministry of Culture.
"The current actions of NPÚ are in gross violation of legal regulations," said Juraj Aláč, spokesperson for the Šantovka Tower project, to ČTK today. According to him, NPÚ employees issued three negative opinions on projects by SMC Development this year, which included a playground in addition to residential construction. "It is clear from NPÚ's statements that none of the negative conclusions is supported by any expert reasoning and the statements show fundamentally unlawful defects," Aláč pointed out.
SMC Development claims that just before the administrative proceedings were concluded, NPÚ's general director Naděžda Goryczková intervened in the administrative process, requesting the stoppage of the project in a letter sent to officials. "The letter was delivered to the administrative body at the last minute so that we could no longer respond," Aláč noted.
According to Aláč, the director of NPÚ also requested a meeting with the mayor of Olomouc, Martin Novotný (ODS). "We expect that the purpose of the meeting is once again an attempt to influence the position of the local government in a way that has no legal support and is inconsistent with the mission of this institution," he added.
The NPÚ Scientific Council particularly objects to the fact that the high-rise building is to be constructed near the center of Olomouc, adjacent to the new shopping center Galerie Šantovka, and that it will be only 900 meters away from the town hall. "The architectural quality of the mentioned buildings is not convincing and cannot be regarded as beneficial even from an urban planning perspective," asserts NPÚ. According to heritage preservationists, the design of the Šantovka Tower breaks the protective zone of the historic center.
Currently, two new high-rise buildings are standing in Olomouc. The Regional Center Olomouc is 71 meters tall, and the building of the Moravian University is 74 meters. The new zoning plan, which has not yet come into effect, does not account for further high-rise buildings near the urban heritage reserve. The Ministry of Culture has expressed its opposition to their construction.
The project for the construction of the Šantovka Tower building in the area of the former Milo company, which is to have 22 floors, is being assessed by city officials. However, SMC Development does not intend to wait for the new zoning plan to be approved. If they obtain a permit based on the current plan, they can start building the building even after the new version comes into effect.