[ad_1]
This is probably the first time in Lithuania that residents have opposed the construction of a pedestrian and bicycle lane with public funds. On Tuesday, a detailed map of the Vanagupe territory was carried out between Šilo Street, M. Daujotas. gram. and public hearing of a remote state forestry project. At the request of the municipality, the UAB Urbanistika drew up a new detailed plan of the territory, which foresees the construction of a 1.5 meter wide pedestrian lane of category F5 and a cycle lane of 1.25 meters wide in the area forest near private homes.
Rūta Garuckienė, the Urbanistika project manager, who presented the new detailed plan, emphasized that the consent of the residents was not required for this project, as the trail is designed within one meter of the boundaries of the residents’ plots.
However, some of the residents of the houses and cabins in the area believe that the planned trail is simply a gift from the city government to a private house that now has no direct entrance to its yard.
Said house enjoys rights of easement through an adjacent parcel. Residents fear this will create conditions for car traffic right next to their home windows, through which they now see the forest. Their suspicions are reinforced by the fact that they had previously seen the planned F6 car route in the documents, which only became a pedestrian and bicycle lane in the documents if they were not satisfied.
The photo of Vakarų ekspress was also reached, in which it can be seen that the courtyard of the aforementioned private house is already paved and the entrance is installed. It seems that a path is already expected to appear in the place where there is now a meadow and a forest. In addition, both in Palanga itself and in Klaipėda and elsewhere in Lithuania, there are a number of areas where, in the absence of other roads, residents enter their yards by car simply by bike lanes.
Will try to defend in court
Residents who have provided information to the editorial board believe that their verbal protests and mere assumptions may not be enough to stop the government’s decisions on the bulldozers. As a result, the owners of the seven houses and cabins have come together, hired lawyers and promise not to waste time or money defending their right to peace.
Photo by Western Express / A pedestrian bridge is being built on the outskirts of Palanga, Vanagupe district
“This path is not in the general plan of the territory, it also contradicts the principles of organization of the transport of the city of Palanga and the special plan of the red line”, is already giving legal arguments Vidas Rudokas, a lawyer hired by the neighbors. In a letter sent to the municipality, he directly proposed to abandon the construction of the trail, assign the area to a functional zone of greenery or forest and preserve the 35 trees planned to be cut down.
Among the arguments of those who oppose the project is that the trail does not connect with any nearby trails, but simply rests on the forest. You can clearly see that this place is not popular with pedestrians because there are no so-called paths in it.
However, the organizer of the R.Garuckienė plan does not doubt that the path is necessary, he assures that the corridor of Vytauto str. towards the sea and in the future the continuation of the trail should also appear in the adjacent territories both Šilo str. both on the other side and on the other side of the land of the Gradiali sanatorium that borders this area. However, he has no information that those plans have already started.
This trail does not exist in the general plan of the territory, it also contradicts the principles of organization of transport of the city of Palanga and the special plan of red lines, – says the lawyer V. Rudokas.
“It seems strange to me that the neighbors are against it, the path would be a great place for mothers with strollers, roller skates, we even leave space for lighting,” says R. Garuckienė visually.
However, the residents themselves believe that such concern of the municipality for their well-being is hypocritical. They are surprised that the municipality is not doing anything to clean and pave M.Daujoto street.
R.Garuckienė maintains that this street does not fall within the limits of the detailed plan he is preparing. But he, he points out, needs more money to clean the street than to change the plan. However, when Vakarų ekspreso asked him how much the municipality will pay for the services provided by his companies, under the guise of contractual issues, he does not reveal the amounts.
According to the neighbors, both in Palanga and in Šventoji, which belongs to this municipality, there are many more important places that must first be managed.
The municipality is amazed
The reaction of Žydrūnas Žvirblis, head of the Department of Architecture and Spatial Planning of the municipality, also shows that the issue in question is not very convenient for the municipality of Palanga. When asked by Vakarų ekspres about the situation on M. Daujoto Street, the host is shocked as if he had heard it for the first time. Only after a more specific specification, he advises addressing his deputy, Palanga’s chief architect, Vytautas Indreikas.
“We were very surprised by the resistance and reaction of the population,” said V. Indreika. According to him, such a cycle lane was foreseen in the detailed plan of the territory approved in 1994. However, over the years, the real situation has changed, the trees have grown, so all these procedures are needed. The detailed plan also aims to take from the forest what has been appropriated over time and give it to the hiking trail.
Google photo / A 200-meter path is projected in the Palanga forest
“We really strive for the trail to continue from Vytauto street to the sea, the continuation of the trail is also planned in the neighboring territory currently planned,” says V. Indreika.
However, it emphasizes that the adjustments to the detailed plan do not yet imply the actual construction of the road.
“We agree that everything must be done in a coherent way, first it is necessary to fix the M. Daujoto street itself, then roads must be built and the opinion of the neighbors must be taken into account”, V. Indreika softens the position.
“We were very surprised by the resistance and reaction of the population,” Indreika said.
The residents themselves believe that the municipality will not abandon its plans so easily. Furthermore, they lack the clear position of the mayor of the city Šarūnas Vaitkus. They hope that the mayor, who actively advocates for the preservation of the forest in various parts of Palanga, will not change his principles. Nearly four dozen to cross condemned trees or two hundred yards of suspicious interest trail? We wanted to ask this question of Šaitis himself, but so far we have not been able to contact him.
[ad_2]
