The representatives of Olomouc did not discuss the height regulation of buildings

Olomouc - The Olomouc city council today ultimately did not discuss the long-prepared change to the zoning plan, which was intended to establish a height limit for buildings in the vicinity of the historic center of the city. The councilors did not approve the resolution of objections raised by the investor of the high-rise building Šantovka Tower, so they could not subsequently vote on the change to the zoning plan. The approved height regulation in this part of Olomouc was supposed to prevent the construction of the 75-meter-high Šantovka Tower, which has been discussed in Olomouc for several years. Heritage preservationists and some experts oppose the project, arguing that the high-rise building could damage the historical panorama of the city. The investor of the Šantovka project claims otherwise.

The change to the zoning plan, which was approved in 2014, was prepared by the city hall due to the fact that the court abolished the height regulation for buildings around the historic center of Olomouc as of December 31, 2015. At that time, the court gave the city hall time until the end of 2015 to better justify the permitted height of buildings in the zoning plan. However, the adjustment of the zoning plan was delayed, so the height limits ceased to be in effect from January 2016. The city hall considered a temporary construction moratorium, which it ultimately abandoned and focused its efforts on preparing a change to the zoning plan with a height limit of 23 meters.

The Ministry of Culture prohibited the construction of high-rise buildings in the protective zone of the heritage reserve, which was reflected in the new zoning plan and the proposed additional change, which ultimately was not voted on today. "The height limitation did not originate with us, but from the position of the Ministry of Culture, which we had to adopt,” noted the deputy mayor Aleš Jakubec (TOP 09). The investor of Šantovka Tower submitted nine objections against the change to the zoning plan. The council proposed their rejection, but the city council today did not approve their resolution in a secret vote.

The lawyer for the investor of Šantovka Tower, Rostislav Pekař, argued in court in 2015 that the city leadership had known about the heights of planned buildings since 2008 and had expressed support for these plans on the condition of "high architectural quality." According to him, the original zoning plan did not regulate the height of new buildings in this part of the city, and the city hall was informed that the investor wanted to build houses up to 29 meters high and the high-rise building Šantovka Tower.

The development company therefore initiated a project worth ten billion crowns, which includes a new shopping center and the high-rise building Šantovka Tower. "So far, we have invested three billion crowns. However, then the preparation for the change of the zoning plan began, in which strict conditions (on the height of new buildings) were introduced," Pekař pointed out in court.

The vote on resolving the objections of the investor of Šantovka Tower followed a long discussion involving councilors, lawmakers, and, for example, the first post-November rector of Palacký University, Josef Jařab. Most of the discussants spoke about the necessity to preserve the historical panorama of the city, while some speakers expressed support for the construction of Šantovka Tower. The discussion among the councilors also revolved around the risk of a possible lawsuit for damages that the investor could file if the height limit were approved.