The scandal surrounding the so-called "illegal city" in the area of "Baba Alino" near Varna continues. On the air of "Your Day" on NOVA, the deputy mayor of Varna Municipality, Eng. Plamen Kitipov, commented on submitted documents and allegations that illegal construction is legalized through development plans.
“The detailed development plan has effect only in the future. It cannot in any way regulate construction that has occurred before and is illegal”, Kitipov said. According to him, there is no way to legitimize illegal construction through the aforementioned document, as this is categorically stated in the law.
He also emphasized that the detailed development plan cannot legalize illegal construction, and that illegal buildings recorded in the cadastre remain illegal, regardless of whether there is a PUP or not.
Regarding the publicly released documents with his signature, Kitipov explained that it is an “order to permit the development of a PUP, which is an administrative service“, and the municipality is obliged to implement it in the absence of legal obstacles. “This is the first step in a long process“, he added.
The deputy mayor categorically rejected the claims that this document creates conditions for legalizing already built objects: “This contradicts the law“.
Kitipov also commented on the case with the cadastre, stating that illegal buildings also appear in it, since the register reflects the actual state, not the legality of the construction. “The fact that it is entered in the cadastre does not mean that it is legal“, he emphasized.
According to him, there is also a serious problem with institutional control and coordination - a blurring of responsibilities between the Primorsky region and the municipality. He added that multiple institutions, including control bodies, notaries and exploitation companies, were involved in the process.
Regarding the start of the inspections, Kitipov indicated that the signals began to be processed at the end of 2024, with actions being taken by a number of institutions. However, he noted that inspectors' access to the properties was obstructed.
When asked when he found out about the construction in the area, the deputy mayor replied: “I found out from political information on “Vazrazhdane“ and public discussions at the end of last year or the beginning of this one“, specifying that he had not followed the investment process.
Kitipov also added that in this case we are talking about a large-scale complex with common infrastructure, including streets, water supply and electricity supply, which complicates the control and monitoring of the process.
He stated that the documents bearing his signature cannot in any way be used as evidence of the legality of the construction, and illegal construction is subject to removal in accordance with the law.