Investor of Šantovky Tower accused the heritage protectors of exceeding their powers

Publisher
ČTK
21.11.2013 19:35

Olomouc - The company SMC Development, which is preparing to build the Šantovka Tower near the historic center of Olomouc, has accused the National Heritage Institute of trying to influence the decisions of the city council regarding this project contrary to its competencies. The company therefore lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Culture against the employees of the Olomouc branch of the NHU, whose management rejected the allegations of exceeding authority.
    The managing director of SMC Development, Richard Morávek, told the Czech News Agency today that the NHU has rejected all of the company's plans on the site of the former Milo chemical plant this year, where the new Šantovka district is gradually to be built, which includes the recently opened shopping center and the planned high-rise Šantovka Tower. According to Morávek, the employees of the Olomouc branch of the NHU used false and out-of-context information to negatively influence public opinion and thereby put pressure on administrative authorities to halt some projects.
    "These rejections from the NHU, with no effort on their part to objectively assess the matter, are considered the height of arbitrariness. Moreover, from the statements of the NHU we have received, it is clear that none of the negative conclusions are supported by any expert argumentation and the statements exhibit fundamentally unlawful defects," said Morávek. According to him, the NHU attempted to exert public pressure on the Olomouc mayor Martin Novotný (ODS) to halt the preparation of the Šantovka Tower project. Thus, the NHU attempted to unlawfully influence the decision-making of the local government.
    The director of the Olomouc branch of the NHU, František Chupík, rejected the accusations of unlawful conduct. "I am not aware of any attempt by the NHU to influence the decision-making of the local government. This is particularly because the local government does not decide the matter, but rather the state administration, delegated to the city council. The investor is likely expressing his wishes for the local government to decide the matter in the spirit of previously accepted political support for the Šantovka development project,” Chupík told ČTK.
    The company SMC Development alerted the Ministry of Culture about the NHU's conduct, which according to Morávek agreed with them. However, Chupík has a different opinion on the Ministry of Culture's position. "In the cited passages from the Ministry of Culture's statement, I found nothing that would contradict our previous actions or evidence that it would support the investor. It merely states the role of the NHU in the decision-making process, and the NHU does not claim anywhere that it decides the matter,” he stated.
    Recently, the NHU requested the Olomouc regional office to examine the city council's actions, whose heritage preservationists gave consent to the planned construction of the Šantovka Tower building in the protection zone of the city heritage reserve. The position of the city council's heritage preservationists differs from the recommendations of the NHU, and their decision is important for the Šantovka investor because it allows them to continue with the project preparation.
    In addition to heritage preservationists, some experts also disagree with the construction of the Šantovka Tower, claiming that it would damage the skyline of the historic center of Olomouc. According to the investors, the skyline will not be disturbed.

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Hugo

21.11.13 11:44

František Chupík

25.11.13 11:20

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