Four appeals against the zoning decision on the Pankrác houses

Prague - The Building Authority of Prague 4 has received four appeals against the zoning decision for the placement of high-rise buildings in Pankrác, said today the spokesperson for the fourth city district, Markéta Aulová, to ČTK. The decision on the buildings will be made by the Prague City Hall. The investor, ECM, according to spokesperson Zuzana Doležalová, anticipated the appeals. A building with luxury apartments and a hotel is expected to rise on the Pankrác plain.
    The Association of the Pankrác Civic Initiative appealed against the zoning decision, joined by the Pankrác Company and Citizens Affected by the North-South Corridor. Further appeals were filed by the companies Corinthia Panorama and Top Spirit, and lastly by the Atelier for the Environment, Aulová informed.
    "What bothers us the most is that an environmental impact assessment, known as the EIA process, was not prepared, despite the fact that it concerns a complex of buildings that significantly affects the surroundings," Zdeněk Holeček from the Pankrác Company told ČTK. Another reason for the appeal, according to him, was that all comments made by civic associations and residents were dismissed in all proceedings.
    According to Holeček, the City Hall should decide in early September, possibly earlier. "I believe that rational thinking will finally prevail and that there will be a more favorable outcome for both Prague as a city and for the local residents," Holeček stated, bemoaning that the authorities have so far been accommodating to investors. Critics of the construction also complain that the buildings will bring additional traffic to the area, disrupt the historical panorama of the city, and do not provide amenities for the ordinary residents of the Pankrác housing estates.
    The planned appeals do not threaten ECM's plans. "In our project plans, we also account for possible appeals from the opposing parties," Doležalová previously told ČTK, stating that the company is awaiting the decision from the Prague City Hall. According to her, ECM submitted all documents properly and on time. Another source told ČTK that they believe the residential building did not need an environmental impact assessment, while for the hotel, a preliminary review was sufficient.
    ECM also believes in a favorable outcome of the City Hall's decision-making. In the planned Epoque building, they are already selling apartments. "Out of a total of 150 apartments in the residential project City Epoque, around 100 apartments already have their buyers," Doležalová noted.
    Due to the planned construction of high-rise buildings in Pankrác, UNESCO expressed "serious concerns" a year ago. Shortly thereafter, the Ministry of Culture closed the administrative proceedings regarding the skyscrapers and confirmed the City Hall's decision that allowed the buildings. The Pankrác plain is in the protective zone of the heritage reserve. However, the exclusion of Prague from the list of World Heritage sites currently does not seem to be at risk. At a July meeting in Quebec, Canada, the World Heritage Committee praised the state of care for the historical core of Prague and approved measures that the capital city and the Czech Republic are taking in this area, also commending the materials received from Prague and the Czech Republic.
    The location of high-rise buildings in Prague will be influenced by a new City Hall methodology for the construction of high-rise buildings in Prague. It aims to eliminate disputes over where high-rise buildings can and cannot be constructed. The evaluation of the building will be crucial based on views from approximately 25 locations in Prague, and the entire topography of the metropolis will also be taken into account.
    Another investor, the joint-stock company Pankrác, is also preparing to build in Pankrác. They plan to construct an administrative center, which according to the civic association Arnika, should be nearly 80 meters high. Currently, there are no ongoing discussions regarding the construction at the City Hall, as the company withdrew its request for an opinion from the City Hall's heritage protectors.