Skanska vs. Devín: after supportive gestures Viladomy turn maybe will come
Pressure of developers to remaining free Bratislava localities and its colonisation by incoming new settlers, is the trend with which original inhabitants balance not very virtuously. Somewhere in subconscious maybe also fear is napping, whether they are able to accept „dagos“ and make shift with them at all and they so as not to disturb their local culture. Impassable, it was looking like that at the beginning at least, disagreement between the supporters of local traditionalism and the developer, who naturally felt its nonrecurring chance in this lucrative locality, namely egested in strongly tell-all cause „Devín Viladomy“. Skanska Reality SK Company, which is moreover realizing other three projects in Bratislava (Multifunctional complex Bajkalská, Residencia Romantika at Karlova Ves and Rača Vineyards), got catch to know what is pride of 885 people living under an ancient castle.
Increasing interest of investors in Devín is not surprising. To find and interest in the time, when almost all interesting localities are the so-called „taken apart“ in the metropolis the own locality with original genius loci – it is more than a half of success. A shore promenade, massive reef with historical remains and fascinating view to magical watersmeet of the Morava and the Danube Rivers, colouring of the vineyard small town, Devínska Kobyla (514 m a. s.) – the highest point of Bratislava, the state natural reservation involving steppe vegetation and sea fossils, or unique sandstone formation Sandberg. Attractiveness and originality of this still more visited municipal district year by year is logical and inalienable in short.
Chronology of admissions and compromises
It seams, that the sky above the project Viladomy of Skanska Reality SK s.r.o. Company is slowly spreading after more than one year of waiting. However, many unexpected problems anteceded present vision of happy conclusion:
- 2005 – Viladomy Devín obtained the planning permission, while the developer planned to start building 23 houses involving 381 housing units already next yet.
- 2007 – From 111 first flats up to 70% were sold out reputedly.
- 2008 – Devín inhabitants at the head of the major Ľubica Kolková energized against building 23 four-storied housing units at Záhradky locality, which would violate historical and natural-cultural character of the municipality, increase number of inhabitants twice and devalued the natural landmark Devínska forest steppe, on the border of protective zone of which Viladomy ought to grow-up, according to them. Skanska refused accusation of code of ethics breach and also showed its positive relation to nature by 2 tons of waste taken away from the forest steppe.
- Spring 2008 – originally reported beginning of the building–up with finalization in summer 2009 did not held due to sustained conflicts of the developer with the municipal district. Development took a quick head, when a part of interested persons (the whole third was spoken about) lost nerve, backed out of contract and begun not only to laid claim to earnest deposit reimbursement but for high sanctions as well. Other decided to hold out and did not give the reservation out.
- July 2008 – another stalemate: the District building office in Bratislava issued the building permission for 23 residential houses, which did not put into force due to appeals of other participants. Skanska is forced to proceeding stoppage of sells. But it started with works relating to water and canalisation on Devínska Kobyla downhills referring the valid planning permission from year 2005 and the building permission for engineering and water supply system.
- August 2008 – unsatisfied citizens rendered a protest letter to Swedish ambassador in Slovakia. The developer offered them a supportive gesture and after discussions with the Devin self-administration he committed to build-up one large and four small children playgrounds, a relax zone with benches and a small park and to redefine ground storey of 10 objects for civil amenities (coffee shops, terraces, shops or relax zones) in the frame of the 1st and the 2nd phases above the frame of the planning permission and the law. It refused the last condition – accessing Viladomy vicinity for all Devin inhabitants, because he cannot sell lands, on which owners will be obliged to let strange people come in.
- September 2008 – either the protest action, during which inhabitants buried their town symbolically, did not persuade the investor. It insisted on the building-up of first 13 mansion-houses (the 1st and the 2nd phases) according to the original plan – it means 3 storeys + 1 set-off attic storey. However, it offered another compromise: it will decrease remaining 10 housing units (the 3rd and the 4th phases) by one storey (it means 2 storeys + 1 set-off attic storey) and will propose inclined roofs instead of plate ones. However, the contribution that it will pay because of the reduction of original number of 381 flats to 321 will be 315 millions SKK (10 456 084 €) of net loss.
- October-2008 – Skanska started thinking of other admissions directed to decreasing 4-storeys also for 13 housing units in the 1st and the 2nd phases, on which it insisted strictly till that time, but it promised nothing. Several days before the regional building office issued the building permission for 13 mansion-houses with 3 storeys and 1 set-off storey, which the major addressed like „despairing“, but she invited the willingness of the developer to discuss about eventual admissions.
- November 2008 – media brought news, that due to decreasing demand Skanska re-evaluates its activities and costs, the company itself is thinking of foreseeing, how it will influence it in the upshot as preliminary.
- April 2009 – Skanska is expecting not only repeated launching building works, but also starting suspended sells.
Developer: We approve at the beginning of year 2011
Incidence of the worldwide crisis on realization of the Viladomy project the developer neither did not confirm nor did. Directly Magdaléna Dobišová, the chief of the communication department of Skanska Group SR answered some questions related to this cause, as well as with the final version of the compromise with the major (self-administration) for Stavebné fórum.sk
Civil activists as well as Devín self-administration reasoned their approaches by the statement, that their aim is not the entire defeat of the project, but only respecting the planning scheme by the investor.
The planning scheme based on which we got the planning permission, was for building-up 4-storied residential housings maximally. It cannot be handled with the fact, that it was changed later. It is like a football match would be played and after the first half time somebody would tell, that it will continue according to changed rules and the first half time is not valid. And what if the village will change the planning scheme again during building?
In which phase the project preparation is and for which phases the building permission have already been issued?
We have the valid building permissions for water supply, canalisation, gas and electric networks. We also have issued the building permission for the first and the second phase of Viladomy, which is in appeals proceedings.
The Company changed the project several times, but Devín requires decreasing the number of storeys in first two phases of the building-up. Does Skanska plan to meet the municipal district, or other changes of the project come into consideration?
After October meeting of our general director, Mrs. major and deputies other changes were taken place –among representatives of the Devín building office and headquarters and architects of Skanska Reality. We are still working with all the project of Viladomy henceforth, it means with all its phases. We try to find compromise between economical acceptability, ecology and energetic interest and requirements of Devín. Any way we want to offer high standard housing at reasonable prices to our new clients.
When do you expect launch and finalization of the building-up
We assume that works will run fully at the beginning of the second quarter 2009 (April) and building approval of both phases will run at the beginning of year 2011. We have booked up to 30 percentages of flats.
Afterword: Warning precedence arose
At Devín not only Viladomy are concerned – more starts to mill there: “the courted” village registers pressure for other investment intentions. If we do not count individual building-up, renovation of older family houses, reconstructed hotel Castle Gate or Riding club Devín, there is more than enough plans. Residential houses building-up is being prepared on the football stadium, more than 14 hectares of the hill above Devín ought to change for housing for highest-level clients with hectare lands and luxury family houses in the frame of the Green terraces project. The first phase promises 3– and 4-storied housing units involving about 100 flats and 16 back-to-back family houses.
However, the Viladomy cause brought not only to Bratislava, but to all Slovakia warning precedence: first time it questioned the thesis, that inhabitants petitions – in spite that motivated by principal approaches – act in favour of the majority in the upshot. The conflict itself, in which each participant is explaining the lawfulness of planning proceedings and building proceedings processes by its own brain, and from it unrolling spiral of ultimatums, admissions or compromises, can other persons interested in investment or housing in the locality annoy insofar, not only realization of Viladomy, but perspectives of the municipal district whole development will be lost.
And this is exactly what Devín inhabitants do not need this moment. Of course, if they do not want doing big shopping at Devínska Nová Ves till the end of their life. Weakly developed municipal amenities have easy explanation at Devín: just 900 inhabitants do not mean, “reason“ for big shopping chains.
Visualizations – Skanska Reality SK
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