|
In its meeting of February 6, 2007, the National Planning and Building Board decided to cancel the controversial Safdie Plan for the construction of 20,000 building units in the hills to the west of Jerusalem. The decision, approved by a majority of 24 to 3, with one abstention, was reached following the presentation of a report on land reserves in Jerusalem. The report, prepared by Tomer Gothelf, estimated that some 45,500 housing units can be built on existing land reserves in Jerusalem, enough to supply the city's housing demands until 2020. Some 16,000 objections to the Safdie Plan were initially submitted to the National Planning and Building Board. In response to the extensive opposition, the National Board appointed Att. Gideon Vitkon in 2004 as an investigator charged with hearing objections against the plan. Although Vitkon recommended approving the plan, he noted that he could not verify the conflicting claims regarding the availability of land reserves in the city which were made by the plan's entrepreneurs, on the one hand, and the Coalition for the Preservation of the Jerusalem Hills, on the other hand. For this reason, the National Board, in its decision of October 17, 2006, decided to appoint an independent investigator (Tomer Gothelf) to decide on the subject. The Coalition for the Preservation of the Jerusalem Hills, headed by Att. Yael Elyashar, spearheaded the impressive and effective campaign against the Safdie Plan, in cooperation with all sectors of the public. Credit for the success of the campaign largely goes to the Coalition and to the professional opinion of planner Uri Bar Shishat.
More Links:
|
