Igor Medvedev: Which of amendments to General plan of the city will be adopted – it depends on citizens’ opinion

During the period from the mid of November to 29 December 33 public meetings will take place in the capital of Kuban in all urban districts and suburbs. Director of the department of architecture and city planning of Krasnodar administration Igor Medvedev expounded the necessity of holding public hearings and spoke about procedure of approving changes to General plan of Krasnodar.

— Since 2014 over two and a half thousand land parcel owners and landholders who conceived that the existing General plan approved in 2012 restricted their rights to a greater or lesser degree, petitioned the city administration to make amendments in Krasnodar’s General plan. Only an insignificant part of petitions – totally 547 out of 2500 were admitted to the project of General plan and presented for public discussion, — Igor Medvedev said.

Chief of the department explained that all the land parcels which have become the subjects of amendments are not of municipal property. According to the law, land parcel owners and landholders have the right to contact Krasnodar City administration and the latter, if the claim is valid, is to make amendments to General plan of the city at public hearings.

— It is important to realize that it is necessary to make amendments — this is not lobbying of someone’s interests, but the necessity, as a great deal of land parcels, which are offered to be changed, are not municipal. They are of private property or under lease, — Igor Medvedev stated.

He underlined that public hearings are held for the purpose that every citizen had the chance to make one’s own observations, proposals and objections related to General plan amendments. Proposals and comments are put forward quite actively, in the department they are all registered and systemized.

Authorities will start work on them after all public hearings will be over. All the submitted proposals and statements will be discussed at sessions of the commission of use and development of land.

— To ensure the maximum transparency and openness we are going to form the public advisory council the representatives of which will participate in sessions of the commission. That council will be composed of ecologists, architects, public members, expert community, — Igor Medvedev informed.

However, according to Director of the department of architecture and city planning the renewed General plan stipulates land parcels reservation for the construction of social infrastructure facilities — schools, kindergartens, healthcare establishments. Besides that the plan will include new green areas and fix the borders of existing parks, garden squares and boulevards.

Igor Medvedev underlined that all proposed amendments are non-binding. They are proposed to be discussed in the course of public hearings as Town-Planning Code of the Russian Federation stipulates this. The projected amendments to General plan are also being reviewed by regional and federal relevant ministries and agencies which, in their turn, can make their suggestions and proposals concerning the General plan.

I would like to point out that we are discussing not a new plan, but amendments of fragments of existing one. In 2017 we schedule to get on with the city development strategy which will provide the basis for future integrated development of the capital of Kuban, — Igor Medvedev said.