A call for a local referendum has been made in Varna by civic organizations. The document was formally submitted to the records of the Municipal Council on the day that Mayor Ivan Portnih and 51 new municipal councilors settled down in the local parliament. It’s pressing to talk about the large-scale reconstruction of Varna. Citizens claim that “In recent years dozens of green spaces, gardens and open spaces have been destroyed. Old and beautiful buildings have been shut down and huge buildings appeared in their place, stifling our city. There is no district of Varna that has not been disrupted by ubiquitous and chaotic construction”. Consequences of overbuilding for Varna population are also mentioned – “their quality of life is deteriorating, their properties are depreciating, the air is getting dirtier, and the traffic is getting more and more busy.”
According to recently data released, a new record has been set regarding building permits issued by Varna Municipality. This means that rebuilding will be even stronger and more widespread and that many citizens of Varna are rightly angry.
The new municipal councilors are asked to:
– Exercise their power and respect the Law on the Direct Participation of Citizens in State Power and Local Self-Government in proposing a local referendum on the planned redevelopment of Varna;
– Preserve the completed neighborhoods and build the new ones after the necessary infrastructure has been organized;
– Maintain Varna’s green system and end the vicious practice of compensating municipal land owners with land;
– Revise the General Plan of Varna in the direction of lowering the parameters of development.
Representatives of non-governmental organizations propose the creation of a civic board to formulate and support referendum questions.
Translator: Valentina Vagge