The representatives of Brno changed the zoning plan in favor of Amazon

Brno - Brno city councilors today approved the update of the zoning plan in the Černovická terasa industrial zone with a vote of 29 out of 55, allowing the construction of a logistics center for Amazon. However, the company stated in April that it does not want to come to Brno. It is currently considering options in Central and Eastern Europe, which was confirmed today by spokesperson Karel Taschner; Mayor Roman Onderka (ČSSD) had no other information. Critics of the decision argue that Brno made a mistake today by permitting any warehouses or chemical industry in the industrial zone.
    The council publishes how the votes were cast with a several-day delay. Nevertheless, it is clear from previous votes and statements from party representatives that the representatives of ČSSD, KDU-ČSL, and TOP 09 voted for the change of the zoning plan, while ODS, the Greens, and communists opposed it.
    The update of the plan was the last necessary step for the developer CTP Invest to build a logistics warehouse for Amazon, which would provide about 1500 permanent jobs in Brno. The sale of the land was narrowly approved by the councilors in April. However, the city will only transfer the land if the promised 1500 jobs are created in the designated location. This is a condition set by the government, which was included in the revoked resolution regarding the industrial zone last week. When the state transferred the land to the city years ago, it conditioned that no warehouses could be built there, so it had to amend the resolution.
    The councilors approved a change that allows the construction of any warehouse or industrial enterprise. "The industrial zone is not designated for giant transshipment centers, now anything can be created here. I expected the resolution to pass by a narrow majority. The developer has already benefited from his pressure last time," said the head of the ODS council club Libor Šťástka to journalists.
    Onderka is pleased that the councilors took the last necessary step; the rest is up to the developer and Amazon. Although the update passed only by a narrow majority, he considers it a good signal to Amazon that Brno wants this investor. "We have seen a tremendous step forward," the developer thinks. "Further developments will depend on the authorities that handle the EIA process, zoning decision, and building permit. We informed Amazon, and they welcomed today's result. I believe they will decide for Brno in the near future," said regional director of CTP Tomáš Budař to ČTK. They have also presented Amazon with other timelines, but the development also depends on the EIA process, which the public can enter.
    Today's voting also means that CTP must buy land for the highway exit and transfer it to Brno so that the Road and Motorway Directorate can build the exit directly into the industrial zone.
    The American company promises not only jobs but also an investment of 2.7 billion crowns, but critics warn of an increase in traffic in the urban areas of Slatina, Tuřany, and Černovice, where traffic is already heavy. The mentioned exit is expected to partially solve this issue. Opponents of the warehouse are concerned that the state will again fail to meet the promise made by the Social Democracy government back in 2000. Jana Drápalová (SZ) pointed out that there is no exit listed in the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure's enumerated projects. "I estimate the cost at 750 million crowns, which the fund will easily find so that the exit can be built by 2017. The funds have never been fully exhausted," Onderka stated.
    The Brno movement Nesehnutí pointed out on Monday, after a legal analysis, the possible illegality of the update. "I expect that someone will challenge our decision and file a criminal complaint," Onderka stated. However, he is confident, he said, that the councilors acted in accordance with the law.