Planned multifunctional hall in Pardubice wants to build a green belt

A proposal to change the zoning plan in Pardubice, which will allow the construction of a multifunctional hall in the Cihelna area, should reduce the area designated for green space. The change is being sought by a company owned by businessman Petr Dědek. The owner of HC Dynamo previously announced that he was planning an investment worth CZK 5 billion; in addition to the hall, there are to be other buildings, a training hall and a hotel. A public hearing was held today, where many people came to hear what the businessman intends to build and how it will affect them. People have one more week to make written comments.

At the public hearing, people did not get specific information and expressed disappointment. The investor's representative Jan Šíma from Studio MAP referred them to the rules of the zoning hearing. He reiterated that at the early stage, specific things are not addressed, only the spatial arrangement of the development or green space. "The aim is that the site should not only be used for sports but also provide civic amenities, that the area should have a multifunctional use. Civic amenities are lacking from our point of view," Šíma said.

In the past, businessman Dědek has talked about a CZK 5 billion investment. He wants to build a multifunctional hall for 13,000 to 15,000 people, a hotel for 400 people or a training hall. Neither the old zoning plan nor the new one the city is preparing allows him to make the investment on the planned scale.

People have asked for more specific information on how big the hall will be, how many people it will accommodate, where the parking spaces will be, if there will be enough, how it will affect traffic. They asked about the height limits of the buildings. "Perhaps Mr. Dědek has a business plan to make this work. So asking about amenities is pointless," said one of the newcomers. People were concerned that the zoning change is so vague that the investor has a free hand. "You gave Mr. Grandpa a blank check to build whatever he wants," fumed a man who came to hear the public hearing today.

An attorney who represents the surrounding landowners also spoke at the meeting. Another housing development is to be built there. "We would like to have a discussion with all the owners in that area about where the roads will be, where the green space will be. The Nová Cihelna site should be discussed comprehensively. The owners of the neighbouring plots are probably raising a legitimate objection that the green belt will be smaller, they fear that the potential construction will endanger them," the lawyer said.

The green space was also debated at length. The proposal cuts the green belt at the expense of the development. The green belt would continue to run around the hall and other buildings. The developer's representative reiterated that more green space would be spread between the new buildings. Traffic was also a topic. "We are defining a corridor of the wider area where future planners would have more scope to address traffic, the road will connect to the north-eastern bypass of the city. We don't want all the traffic to burden Pardubice, and we want it to be directed to the future bypass," Šíma said.

Deputy Vojtěch Jirsa (Pirates) recalled that the request for a change to the zoning plan was made to the deputies not long before the June meeting. He voted against it. "The one who needs to be pointed at is the city councillors who allowed this to be discussed in the first place," Jirsa said.

František Brendl (Together for Pardubice), the councillor in charge of creating the new master plan, said that the multifunctional hall and the follow-up investments are transnational in nature. The businessman Dědek brings a significant investment. "The process by which this is being approached is not ideal," Brendl said. In the past, other landowners have been told by the city that they have to wait for a new zoning plan, and now suddenly another investor comes in and is allowed by councillors to work on a rezoning. Brendl added that he was not part of the majority that voted for Dědek's proposal.

People can submit written comments until Monday, October 9. After that, there may be one more public hearing to address the comments, or the aldermen may have received the proposal and will address it at their meeting, said David Schaffer of the Planning Department.

Source: CTK