(Haipo) – Residents living in Kiryat Bialik near Zevulun Park are launching a fight against a municipal plan to construct a six-story public building on the park's grounds - the only one in the neighborhood.
They claim that the project is expected to harm their quality of life, create heavy traffic congestion, and further reduce the already limited green areas.
Damage to the only green space in the neighborhood
According to the municipality's plan, the new structure will replace the neighborhood community center and be built on a significant portion of the park's land, a move that, as mentioned, is provoking strong opposition among residents. "Our neighborhood is not particularly well-kept anyway, and now they are planning to take away the only green corner we have here," says one of the area's residents. According to her, the park, which includes children's play facilities, is the only place where local residents can spend time outside, and damaging it is unacceptable.
Beyond reducing the open public space, residents fear that the work will lead to the cutting down of many trees, which will harm the landscape and air quality.
"This little garden is all we have. Why take it?" wonders another resident. According to her, the municipality could have chosen a different location for the building, but instead chose to bite into public space, which is already limited in their neighborhood.
Will increase traffic congestion and reduce parking spaces
One of the main issues that is causing concern among residents is the parking problem and the traffic congestion expected as a result of the construction. Currently, the neighborhood suffers from a shortage of parking spaces, with the health insurance fund and kindergartens in the area creating heavy traffic congestion in the morning hours.
Residents fear that the new building, which will include several wings and require large teams of workers, will worsen the situation.
"We don't even have a place to park now, so what will it look like when dozens more people work here?" asks Larissa Wiener, one of the leaders of the resistance. According to her, the additional parking space in the plan is also inadequate, as most of the spaces will be taken up by staff working in the building, leaving no spaces available for the neighborhood's residents.
Another problem is the traffic congestion on the nearby streets. "Zebulon Street has one exit and it is very congested. What will happen after the building is built? There will be more traffic congestion," adds Wiener. In her opinion, the municipality did not take into account the traffic implications of building such a large building in the heart of a small neighborhood.
Synagogue and youth club – are they needed?
Another issue that raises objections is the inclusion of a synagogue and a youth club in the new building. According to some residents, there is no justification for building another synagogue, since the religious population in the neighborhood already prays in an existing synagogue. "Who asked for another synagogue?" asks one resident. "There is already a synagogue very close by, and most of the time not many people come to it. So why invest in more public space where there is no real need?"
The plan to establish a youth club also raises many questions. "We don't know what will be there," says another resident. "We don't have clear information about the type of activities that are planned, and we are afraid that the place will become a center of noise and disturbances at night." The main concern is that if clear rules are not defined, the club could attract elements that will harm the quiet nature of the neighborhood.
"Unreasonable change in a small neighborhood"
The residents' struggle is supported by City Council member, Attorney Maimon Par, who opposes the plan on the grounds that it completely changes the character of the neighborhood. "The municipality is going to take almost half of the park and build a 28-meter-high public building on it, a move that will dramatically affect the lives of the residents," he explains.
According to him, the building, which is relatively tall for the surroundings, will obscure sunlight and block air, increase noise and traffic congestion, and even lead to massive felling of trees.
Attorney Far notes that a similar plan has already been proposed in the past, but following a public struggle, it was not approved by the district committee. The municipality is now seeking to re-promote the plan. The objections will be submitted in the coming weeks to the district planning and building committee.
Frustration over the lack of investment in the neighborhood
Beyond concerns about the implications of the construction, many residents are frustrated by the fact that the municipality is investing huge sums in a new project, while the neighborhood itself suffers from neglect. "If they had taken care to renovate and improve what is here first, maybe there would have been more openness to discussion," says a neighborhood resident. "But when the neighborhood is not well-kept and the park itself is not maintained properly, it is outrageous that they want to build a new luxury building here."
Other residents point out that a significant investment in the existing public space would have been welcome, but instead the municipality is promoting a plan that ignores the daily reality of the neighborhood. “Why invest tens of millions of shekels in one building instead of improving the entire neighborhood?” asks one of the opponents.
Hoping to change the evil of the decree
While the municipality continues to promote the project, residents hope that public pressure will lead to changes in the plan or its cancellation altogether. "We are not against development, but it must be done with logic and consideration for the people who live here," concludes one resident.
"The municipality needs to understand that the neighborhood is not just a place to build new buildings, but also a living space that needs to be preserved."
The residents plan to submit official objections to the district committee and hope that the public struggle will influence the decisions that will be made. In the coming weeks, neighborhood meetings will be held, at which the next steps in the fight against construction in Zebulun Park will be formulated. Will the municipality listen to the residents, or will the plan be implemented despite the objections? Time will tell.
Congratulations on the current thinking, a youth club is an important thing that is needed, as is a synagogue.
It is clear that the complainants would have preferred another Tiv Taam branch instead, but the mayor is the responsible adult who cares for the common good and not for the benefit of a privileged few.
Who only care about themselves.
Important article Michal Gruber. Good night.