The Marker, Gili Melnitsky, 18.11.2020
The Lod District Court ruled today (Wednesday) in an administrative petition filed by the residents of Kfar Sirkin against the National Committee for Preferred Housing Complexes (VOTAL), which was also joined by the Petah Tikva Municipality, and ruled: The municipality can stop building permits for the 2,701 apartment The progress of construction in the Sirkin complex, if no transport solutions are found, is sufficient for the considerable increase in population.
The plan for the village of Sirkin is a plan that was promoted and approved by VOTAML and is supposed to lead to an increase of about 8,500 new apartments in the evacuated military camp areas and agricultural areas in the area. The plan provoked strong opposition from local residents and citizens who claimed it was promoted. The infrastructure and traffic jams that already characterize the area today.
After its approval, local residents petitioned the court to enshrine in law the commitment to phases in the plan, meaning that in parallel with the construction work for the construction of the new neighborhoods, infrastructure work will also be carried out that will provide a satisfactory transportation solution for thousands of new families. Already today there are traffic jams and heavy loads in the area.
Judge Oren Schwartz, who heard the petition, ruled that the Petah Tikva municipality, planning bodies and the Israel Land Authority could continue developing and marketing the land beyond the 2,700 apartment, only after a new transportation feasibility study is published, which will ensure steps for transportation solutions that justify further construction . Justice Schwartz ruled that the professional bodies would be required to publish the document for public objections and responses, which would also include a breakdown of the stages and future steps for transportation solutions. The public will have 30 days to respond.
In addition, it was decided that the panel responsible for the feasibility document would not only appoint representatives of government ministries and the planning director - whose clear interest is to continue marketing and apartment construction - but would also include a representative from the Petah Tikva Municipality and an observer from the South Sharon Regional Council. This means that more meaningful expression will be given to the voices and needs of the residents of the area. These will try to ensure that there are adequate transportation solutions and not just unreasonable congestion on the roads in the area.
Within two years, a light rail is expected to connect to Petah Tikva and release some of the pressure and traffic congestion, but in the coming years the works are expected to put even more strain on the area.
The VOTAML stated: "The court has adopted the provisions of the approved Sirkin plan, including the establishment of an accompanying team for the development phase of the plan. In accordance with the conclusions reached following the court hearing, the state agreed that the composition of the accompanying staff would be updated and that as part of its work, transportation inspections would be conducted. A mechanism was also agreed upon for the public reference and judicial review of the decisions of the accompanying staff. We will clarify that the rejection of the petitions, the agreements received and the ruling constitute another step towards the development of the neighborhood, which is expected to add thousands of housing units in the heart of the demand area. "
"This is another important achievement for the residents of the Southern Sharon Council, Petah Tikva and Kfar Sirkin. We all believed that logic should be taken into account and be a senior partner in planning. In addition, we emphasize that the court He also referred to the construction of a road bypassing Amishav, and stated that this road will not be paved until there is a reasoned decision explaining the need for the establishment of the accompanying staff.