(haipo) The Haifa Municipality ordered yesterday (Tuesday, 03/02/2026) to halt work at the construction site on 37a Ovadia Street in the Ramat Hashabi neighborhood, after serious defects were discovered indicating damage to the nearby wadi and a violation of the approved land use boundaries. Deputy Mayor Sarit Golan Steinberg clarified that work will not resume until a clean-up wall is erected within the boundaries of the lot and the wadi is fully restored. The decision comes after weeks of warnings from residents and environmental activists, who claimed that the site poses an environmental and safety hazard.
A construction site in the heart of the Ramat Hashabi neighborhood is causing concern
Ovadia Street is located in the Ramat Hashabi neighborhood, adjacent to the French Carmel, an area where many urban renewal and development projects have been carried out in recent years. The increasing density of construction sites in the area, along with the proximity to wadis, makes any deviation from building guidelines particularly sensitive.
Residents living near Site 37A reported that they have been noticing deficiencies for a long time, but last Friday (01/30/2026), the situation worsened.
Serious deficiencies: Unfenced site and rock slide into wadi
Residents and environmental activists who arrived at the site noticed that the site was not properly fenced, and that rocks and dirt were rolling down the slope toward the wadi. In addition, it was claimed that the work exceeded the boundaries of the approved plot, which raises concerns about real harm to the wadi's ecosystem. According to them, this is not only a violation of the terms of the building permit, but also a real safety hazard for residents, tourists, and animals in the area.
Haifa – a city of wadis: high environmental sensitivity
Haifa is built on a mountain range, and many of its neighborhoods are adjacent to streams and wadis. Building near wadis requires extreme care in boundaries, drainage, fencing, and preserving natural values. Residents claim that any damage to a wadi, even if it seems marginal, can cause cumulative damage: soil erosion, damage to vegetation, harm to animals, and even the risk of slope collapse. They emphasize that the responsibility for preserving the wadis is not only environmental, but also safety.
Disturbing precedents: the case in the Shambor neighborhood
The incident at Ovadiya 37a is not the first to raise concerns. Just recently, a construction site on Yotam Street in the Shambor neighborhood made headlines, where environmental activists claimed that the contractor was not keeping a reasonable distance from the nearby wadi.
They warned that any precedent in which a contractor operates without sufficient enforcement could affect future construction sites.
According to them, if strict protection of the wadis is not enforced, contractors will see this as a "green light" to operate similarly in other neighborhoods.
The construction site on Ovadia Street (Photo: Haifa on the ground)
Fear for the future: New neighborhoods are planned alongside valleys
Several new neighborhoods are currently being promoted in Haifa, some of which have already been approved and some of which are in the process of issuing permits.
Many of them are to be built near wadis, which increases the fear of future damage.
Environmental activists claim that if a clear standard for protecting the wadis is not enforced now, it will be difficult to prevent damage to the new neighborhoods. "If we don't stop this now, we will lose Haifa's wadis," said one activist.
WhatsApp group of environmental activists: close monitoring and growing concern
Environmental activists in the city operate a joint WhatsApp group, where they update each other on defects at construction sites. In recent weeks, they have been following with concern what is happening at Ovadia 37a, sending photos, documentation and reports to municipal officials, but they say they did not receive an immediate response. Despite their frustration, they expressed satisfaction with the municipality's decision to stop the work. "This is an important step, but we must not stop here," said one of the activists. "We need to make sure that the restoration is carried out in full."
Construction waste in the Wadi: damage already caused
One of the main problems that has arisen is the fact that construction waste has already eroded into the wadi. Even if the site is fenced off now and further erosion is prevented, the waste already on the slope will have to be collected manually, a complex, dangerous and expensive task. Environmental activists warn that if a thorough cleanup is not carried out, the waste could contaminate the soil, harm vegetation and pose a long-term hazard.
Municipality: "Substantial deficiencies – work will be stopped until fully repaired"
The Haifa Municipality announced that an inspection conducted at the site by the Construction Supervision Department found significant deficiencies and non-compliance with the terms of the building permit. As a result, it was decided to issue an order to immediately stop the work. The municipality emphasized that the work will not resume until all deficiencies are corrected, including the construction of a cleaning wall and the full restoration of the wadi. The order is expected to go into effect today.
Residents: "The municipality must monitor closely"
Residents living near the site expressed relief at the municipality's decision, but also criticized the fact that the response came only after public intervention. "It shouldn't have gotten to a point where residents had to document deficiencies and contact the municipality over and over again," said the street resident. "Supervision should be proactive, not reactive."
Looking ahead: A significant test for urban renewal
The incident at Ovadia 37a is an important test of the municipality's ability to balance the need for urban renewal with the preservation of natural values. Construction in Haifa is expected to expand in the coming years, especially in neighborhoods adjacent to the wadis. Decisions made now may affect dozens of future projects.
Developer's response, CPSN: During the quarrying work, there was some deterioration of the material.
The developer's response, cpsn, is: "During the quarrying work, there was some deterioration of the material due to the difficult topographic conditions. The contractor is handling the collection of the material and preventing further deterioration. The company continues to work to improve the visibility of the city and is confident that the project will bring pride to the city's residents in general and the residents of the street in particular."
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In Ramat Begin, on the Idar side, there is construction of TAMA 38 demolition construction inside a wadi. Right on the channel. It is not at all clear where the water is supposed to pass during the rains. Even the site manager could not give answers to this. How do we know if it was approved, what was approved…? Who can I contact?
Amazing and congratulations to the residents of the Tishbi neighborhood! Let's really hope this is the first swallow for the municipality's supervision of the masses of construction sites that disrespect nature for the sake of their own cost savings - from here, come see Doctor 21, Lincoln Slopes and a host of other sites on the Wadi Line. Time to stop and force cleanup and restoration!
This is a criminal violation of the values of nature and the Lotem River. This is shocking and we must force the company to repair as much of the damage as possible. This is a nature reserve and sue the company for a fine from the Ministry of Natural Resources. Incidentally, the work has not been stopped because we hear from the drilling workers.
The valleys beneath many neighborhoods are filled with deteriorating construction materials and garbage!
I live here in the field hahaha I loved it!
Habit becomes nature, nature becomes destiny.
Selective enforcement.
There are many, many more cases that have not even reached the media, why?
Whoever knows knows.
As of today, the work has continued, mainly excavations in the rock, throughout the day and no one has stopped the work…
It seems that the Haifa Municipality is being criticized, or perhaps there are other reasons that allow the work to continue. Construction in Wadiyot began many years ago, also because of permits that were given decades ago.