Týden: Karlovy Vary harmed by bad building projects

Prague, Nov 2 (CTK) - The town hall officials allow for the unique architecture in the famous spa town of Karlovy Vary, west Bohemia, being damaged by insensitive construction projects mostly funded by Russian investors, the weekly Týden writes in its latest issue out Monday.

Old houses with the status of protected heritage are being partially or completely demolished, parks in the centre are being replaced with modern apartment houses, and investors can arbitrarily change the original purpose and appearance of new buildings that sometimes seriously harm the town's panorama, Týden says.

One of the most controversial recent projects is a concrete "parking" in the town centre, built by Russian investors for rich clients from the East, which the town hall later renamed to "a parking house with apartments." The modern building, which received the mock-award for the worst building of the year, harms a beautiful view of the town's dominant, the early 20th-century Imperial Hotel, Týden writes.

It adds that the head of the municipal building office, Ivana Doubova, has been behind most of the controversial projects in the past years. Local papers call her "the most powerful person of the town hall." Politicians and businessmen feel obliged to her, and this is why her position is firm.

In August the town council refused to dismiss Doubova from the post in spite of persuasive evidence proving abuse of power. She pushed for a change in the zoning plan advantageous for her as her six-hectare land then turned into building plots, and she thereby gained over 26 million crowns, Týden says.

It adds that support from the town council might be "reward" for Doubova turning blind eye on "plundering" of the town's heritage.

Doubova denies it, calling all objections to her "witch-hunt."

Tyden refers to the most controversial cases of "the town stolen" with the town hall's consent, such as the overpriced and low-quality reconstruction of the Municipal Theatre for 250 million crows in 1997-1999, and the disadvantageous sale of a golf course, one of the oldest in the Czech Republic, in which the town allegedly lost millions of crowns.

The town hall also approved the construction of a giant multipurpose sport arena for 1.2 billion crowns, more that the town's annual budget, though is is doubtful that the town with mere 50,000 inhabitants would really need such a "monstrous" facility.

In 2007, three lucrative houses in the centre were sold in a questionable tender, the winners of which were known beforehand, to three companies whose owners are connected with local politicians even if another bidder offered a 28-million higher price, Tyden writes.

Opposition councillor Jiri Kotek, from the Alternative association, has criticised the practices of the Karlovy Vary Town Hall in zoning plans for long.

He recalls, for instance, that only the facades of two former children's sanatoria were preserved while the interior of the historical buildings was completely demolished in the middle of the urban conservation area. In some cases the investors do not hesitate to pull down original houses completely, he told the weekly.

"Of course this all is happening for Russian money. But I am not interested in it. I consider it crucial that we are doing it all ourselves. It is namely our town hall that is giving them the area," Kotek told the weekly.

Tyden reminds that a breakthrough was the case of wooden log cabins built illegally in a nearby natural reserve by a Russian businessman Nikolai Stepanov.

Doubova first stood up against the buildings and demanded their removal. Yet the cabins have stayed there to date as municipal officials then softened their strict stance.

Tyden recalls that Stepanov invited respected guests from the town hall to an opulent house-warming party after the cabins were completed.

In protest against the case the whole commission of architects dealing with zone planning stepped down at the town hall, Tyden adds.

"Anything can be pushed through politically. Then there is no wonder that someone builds a house higher (than the surroundings)," former chief town architect Antonin Polony told the weekly.

He points out that the old charming spa with bright and airy villas and spacious parks has already become history.