The microregion postponed the dismantling of the lookout tower on Velký Kosíř until autumn

Prostějov – The Kosířsko microregion has postponed the planned dismantling of the 13-year-old wooden lookout tower on Mount Velký Kosíř from spring to autumn. The municipalities do not have the required documentation for the approval of the tower's demolition, and autumn is a more suitable time from the perspective of its impact on the surrounding nature. Dalibor Kolář, the chairman of the Kosířsko microregion, said this to ČTK today. Due to structural defects, the lookout tower, which is a landmark of the plain at the border of Prostějovsko and Olomoucko, has been declared unfit for operation by structural engineers, and its repair would not be cost-effective.

The lookout tower on Velký Kosíř opened in the summer of 2013, with the observation platform at a height of 25 meters. The construction cost 6.5 million korunas, with three million provided by the Olomouc region for the project, and other funds coming from donors and surrounding municipalities. Representatives of the Kosířsko microregion discovered the first defects related to the slope of the terraces shortly after the festive opening. Later, defects in the staircase's construction were also discovered, which could not be claimed. Due to defects in the wooden structure of the balcony, a decision was made in autumn 2023 to close the lookout for safety reasons.

"The lookout tower will not be taken down in spring, as we do not yet have the completed documentation for the removal of the structure," Kolář stated. According to him, experts did not recommend the spring demolition date for the tower, located in the middle of the forest, due to bird nesting in the surrounding trees. Forest paths to the lookout will also be crowded with tourists and cyclists in spring. "Therefore, we moved the date to autumn, when nature will be at peace," the microregion chairman said.

The representatives of the nine member municipalities of the microregion approved the dismantling of the structure last year. The municipalities are finalizing the preparation of documentation and want to select a company to dismantle the tower. The costs of demolition have not yet been estimated. A stone foundation will remain at the site of the old lookout tower for the potential construction of a new observation point on the summit of Velký Kosíř. According to Kolář, this option has been favored by most of the councilors. "A new lookout tower makes the most sense to us," Kolář noted.

A refreshment stand will operate in the stone base of the lookout tower on summer weekends. "If a larger group of people plans to set out to Kosíř during the week, they can arrange for the opening of the refreshment stand by phone," Kolář added.

Last spring, representatives of the microregion preliminarily calculated that repairing the lookout tower would require a one-time investment of 1.5 million korunas, and regular maintenance would cost an additional 300,000 korunas annually. Demolishing the structure and constructing a new lookout tower using the original documentation or architectural solution would require 17 million korunas, and additional funds would need to be invested in maintenance. The councilors ultimately supported the dismantling of the lookout tower. During the construction of the new element, materials dismantled from the lookout tower's structure could be utilized.

The lookout tower, which offers views of the flat Haná, Drahanská Highlands, Bouzov Hills, and the silhouette of the Nízký Jeseník, has a stone base with facilities and a wooden tube with steel elements. Velký Kosíř (441 m above sea level) is a dominant feature of the Haná plain. The Velký Kosíř Natural Park was established in 1990.