The office approved the change for the construction of a center for Amazon near Dobrovíz

Dobrovíz/Hostivice (near Prague) - The building authority has approved a change in zoning proceedings necessary for transforming the original project of four smaller storage halls into a giant distribution center for the American online retailer Amazon in Dobrovíz. The Hostivice building authority published the decision on the city's website. Dobrovíz will appeal the decision of the building authority.
    The building authority began deliberating the change last week. During the proceedings, it rejected the objection from Dobrovíz related to the contractual solution to the bypass of the municipality, the inconsistency of the reported number of employees in the commercial zone with the current state, and the conflict of the zoning decision change with the approved documentation on the environmental impact of the construction (EIA). It also rejected the objections from the municipalities of Hostouň, Kněževes, and Středokluky, which were related to the traffic situation. "The placement of the building is in accordance with the approved urban planning documentation and complies with general construction requirements," the decision of the building authority states.
    Participants in the proceedings can appeal the decision of the building authority, which Dobrovíz will do for example. "Of course, we will appeal. Once we receive it in writing, we will consult on it and we will file an appeal," said Deputy Mayor Jiří Šesták today to ČTK. Residents of Dobrovíz rejected the construction of the distribution center in a public vote last week.
    Amazon wants to open two distribution centers in the Czech Republic by September 2014 at the latest. The second one is supposed to be built near Brno. However, there are also issues regarding the establishment of this center, as the Brno city council conditioned the construction of the logistics center in the Černovická terrace on creating a connection from the industrial zone to the D1 highway. Amazon is thus receiving offers to establish the centers in other parts of the country, such as in the industrial zone in Holešov in the Kroměříž region or in the industrial zone in Mošnov in the Nový Jičín region. "Amazon is focused on successfully executing both announced projects in selected locations and continues to negotiate with all interested parties at the levels of the Czech Republic, the region, and the municipalities," said the company’s media representative Vladimír Bystrov to ČTK.
    According to Amazon, it is crucial that the construction begins and finishes according to the planned schedule so that the distribution center is ready for the upcoming holiday season. This could be a problem, as any appeals against the change in the zoning decision could take several months for the regional authority to address. The project also has to go through the building process that leads to acquiring a building permit. "I estimate that the building permit may take legal effect as early as the beginning of March, but only if the entire process runs smoothly," Vojtěch Budil, the head of the Hostivice building authority, who is making decisions about the entire construction, told Wednesday's Hospodářské noviny.
    Each center will employ around 2000 people and an additional 3000 during the pre-Christmas peak in each location. Together with the planned warehouse in Poland, they are expected to serve both existing European markets and new markets in Northern and Eastern Europe.
    Amazon is the largest and one of the oldest online retailers in the world. Jeff Bezos, who still heads the company, founded it in 1994, then under the name Cadabra. Amazon began its online activity in July 1995 and currently employs 97,000 people. Amazon still does not have a site in the Czech language.