"Mayor Terziev's new order for an official PUP for the 215-meter tower on "Cherni Vrah" Blvd. creates a feeling of action, but still misses opportunities to protect the public interest. Instead of real restrictions, we see the problem being moved to paper". This was commented by the leader of "Save Sofia" Boris Bonev, quoted by the party's press center.
We recall that the formation and the mayor are fighting against the project to build a 55-story building with a height of 215 meters next to the "Paradise" mall on "Cherni Vrah" Blvd. in Sofia, and from "Save Sofia" it is not the first time that they criticize Terziev's actions in the case. The mayor of Sofia tried to stop the construction of Paradise Tower with an official change to the detailed development plan (DDP) for the area. His initial order for this was canceled by the court due to administrative omissions, and yesterday Terziev issued a new order with the claims that the omissions in it have been eliminated, news.bg noted.
From "Save Sofia" they state that the project continues to raise serious questions regarding transport services, development parameters and the real limitation of future development in the area of "Todor Kableshkov" Blvd. and the shopping center.
"Transportation was one of the main arguments for revising the plan, but the new order does not indicate the necessary place for the future tram route along "Todor Kableshkov" Blvd. as an argument", says the deputy chairman of the Architecture and Urban Planning Commission of the Sofia Municipal Council (SOC) arch. Rositsa Nikolova. According to her, motivating the order with the need to analyze the need for new stops is an indisputable argument with which the construction of the skyscraper will be made impossible.
"Save Sofia" points out that both the above-ground and the planned underground connection with the shopping center are being preserved. "It is these connections that are among the reasons for the property to be considered as a corner property within the meaning of the Spatial Planning Act and this allows the building to be so tall", explains arch. Nikolova. "If these connections remain unchanged, the completely logical question arises of how exactly the development is limited and whether the stated goal of the new order is achieved at all", states Boris Bonev.
Otherwise, for "Save Sofia" The most important question is what the maximum height of the building will be. The party points out that there is no answer to this question. "Although a development intensity coefficient is being introduced according to the General Development Plan and the number of underground levels is being reduced, there is no height limit anywhere", the party notes. "In the absence of such a limit, it remains entirely possible to design a very tall building again with a smaller floor area that would formally meet the new indicators. This means that the key problem may remain unresolved", Rositsa Nikolova points out.
"Sofia needs clear, categorical and legally sound solutions, not changes that create the impression of a limitation without answering the basic questions about transport, territorial development and the future of the city," commented Boris Bonev.