The councilors approved the urban plan of Olomouc, Morávek threatens with a lawsuit

Olomouc - The Olomouc City Council today approved a new urban plan for the city after more than six hours of discussion, which will determine the main parameters of its development for the coming years. However, due to the feedback from some entrepreneurs, the city hall will prepare a change to the urban plan so that their planned investments can be undertaken. Conversely, some entrepreneurs will no longer be able to implement their plans following the approval of the new urban plan and have threatened the city with lawsuits for damages.
    A total of 23 council members voted for the new urban plan and its subsequent adjustment, five voted against it, and 12 members abstained from the vote. The opposition party, ČSSD, proposed returning the urban plan to the city hall for revision due to the objections from entrepreneurs, but the proposal was unsuccessful. "It is the art of the possible and compromise. I believe that the best possible variant has won, which was put forth today," commented the approval of the urban plan by Mayor Martin Major (ODS). According to him, the first change to the urban plan can still be made this year.
    Experts have been discussing the new urban plan, which cost 12 million crowns to prepare, since 2006. The city was compelled by legislation to create a new urban plan, but it needed it regardless. The original plan, according to the city leadership, reflected the reality of the mid-1990s when it was created, not the current state. People gradually submitted several hundred objections and comments regarding the proposal of the new urban plan to the city hall.
    Due to the urban plan approved today, the city wants to sue entrepreneur Richard Morávek. The urban plan will prevent the planned construction of the new high-rise building, Šantovka Tower, in close proximity to the historic center, which has many opponents as well as supporters in the city. The new plan does not account for the construction of high-rise buildings in the protected zone of the urban conservation area due to the negative stance of the Ministry of Culture. The strategic document also reduced the acceptable height of administrative buildings in the future Šantovka district in part of Olomouc, where the Milo factory once stood.
    "We will have no choice but to use all available means and sue the city for damages," warned council member Morávek, who declared upon leaving the meeting room that he would file a lawsuit against the city hall. He did not specify the amount of damages. According to him, the company Office Park Šantovka, in which he has a stake, will not be able to develop 100,000 square meters in this part of Olomouc due to the urban plan, while 8,000 square meters were to be occupied by the Šantovka Tower building. He stated that the company has followed the existing urban plan in preparing this multi-million investment.
    The mayor is not concerned about Morávek's lawsuit. "Mr. Morávek does not have an issue with our urban plan. It is primarily a protection of the historical part of Olomouc, and this regulation is determined not by the city, but by the Ministry of Culture," Major told reporters.
    The new urban plan has also been criticized by the management of Nutrend, which is unable to expand its factory on the outskirts of Olomouc to meet the growing demand. However, a planned change to the urban plan should resolve the issues with the land for the Nutrend factory and the adjacent business zone in Chválkovice later this year.