Residents of "Dragalevtsi" oppose a possible replacement, in which one of the few undeveloped plots of land in the neighborhood could become private property. The plot is public municipal property and is currently intended for landscaping and a substation.
The case is related to a private property in Knyazhevo, which about two years ago blocked the oldest and most famous avenue of Vitosha - "Sunny". Construction began on the site, but it was stopped after public discontent, and the construction permit has expired. The owner of the property has requested an exchange with two neighboring municipal plots in “Dragalevtsi“, which are approximately twice as large in area.
Residents insist that the terrain remain municipal
“This is public municipal property with a large old forest and is intended for landscaping. It is landscaped, and it is also intended for a substation. There is no justification for why the need for these two things has disappeared and how the public interest will be protected here“, states Ventsislav Dikov.
According to Vladlen Aleksandrov, there are serious problems with the power supply in the area. “Sometimes there is no electricity for 24 hours. "A substation was supposed to be built on this site, and now there won't be one," he says.
Residents also raise questions about the possible construction on the site. Ivaylo Gergov defines it as absurd, pointing out that the Rila Water Supply System passes under the site. Martin Nedelchev insists that the municipality guarantee that the municipal property will be used for its intended purpose.
The candidate for the replacement rejects the concerns about the block
We are talking about Milen Hristov, listed as the manager of “Electrohold“ and a contender for the properties. He states that there are no problems with electricity in his house in the area and specifies that as the manager of the company he does not deal with the technical infrastructure.
Hristov rejects the concerns that a large residential block could be built on the site. According to him, the permissible height of construction in the area is 7.5 meters, and the building density is 25 percent.
The replacement has not yet been approved
The Sofia Municipality states that at the moment there is no agreed replacement and a decision of the Sofia Municipal Council. However, a project to amend the detailed development plan has been approved.
The Mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev has issued an order changing the purpose of one of the properties from “for substation and landscaping“ to “for residential construction“. This means that the procedure for changing the status continues, but there is still no final decision on the replacement.