(haipo) – After more than a decade of repeated procedures, the Local Planning and Building Committee in Haifa has determined: No more cycle of requests and exceptions to TAMA 38 that deviate from the municipal planning policy.
The Haifa Local Planning and Building Committee has made a dramatic decision that marks a clear red line against a widespread phenomenon in the urban renewal industry: the "attrition method" of developers. In a decision issued on May 11, 2026, the committee rejected outright the application of the company "Yozma Alonim Ltd." to receive extensive and exceptional TAMA 38 rights in the Margalit 31 complex, a request that had been submitted repeatedly for more than a decade, despite previous decisions rejecting it.
A decade of planning struggle: "The developer returns time and time again – and the exceptions are unreasonable"
The affair began in 2015, and has since become a symbol of a stubborn struggle between the residents and the developer. Over the years, many applications have been submitted, some of which were deleted due to inaction, some were rejected, and some were resubmitted in violation of the decisions of the appeals committees and the municipal policy document from 2016, a document that the committee itself defined as "permissive and liberal."
Despite this, the committee members noted, the developer continued to submit plans that included significant deviations: an addition of 7.5 floors, a 15-meter-high lobby, confined spaces, complete concealment of apartments on nearby Yarkon Street, and deviation from building lines.
In its decision, the committee wrote: "The developer also repeats this document time and time again and submits exceptions on an unreasonable scale.".
Tenants: "A terrible waste of public resources – and deliberate erosion of opponents"
The opposing tenants were represented by Adv. Shahar Levinson, Senior Partner, and Adv. Yoni Shliu-Riva, Partner at the law firm of Yosef Yeshurun & Co. The two welcomed the decision and noted that it is not only about protecting the rights of the tenants, but also about protecting public resources.
According to them, "the planning committees and appeal committees are forced to discuss again and again the same plans that were not properly amended, and to act like detectives to locate discrepancies, instead of promoting necessary building plans for the city of Haifa."
Attorney Levinson added that the decision sends a clear message: "The planning system is not an arena for attrition where opponents can be subdued through repeated submissions."
End of verse? The neighborhood hopes – and the municipality signals a new policy
Following the decision, the neighborhood hopes that the ongoing saga has come to an end. The local committee has made it clear that it will no longer allow the circulation of requests that deviate from municipal policy, and that it will continue to protect the balance between promoting urban renewal and maintaining the quality of life of residents.
This decision may serve as a significant precedent for additional urban renewal complexes throughout Haifa and change the rules of the game for entrepreneurs who wish to "test the limits of the system."