Citizens demand changes to the Marina Dorćol project due to the impact on the environment

At the end of September 2021, the Detailed Regulation Plan for Linijski Park Belgrade was adopted, a project that should, in principle, revitalize the coastal zone from Brankovo ​​to Pancevočki bridge. The boundaries of the Detailed Regulation Plan for the Belgrade Line Park include the area defined by the railway route in the coastal city zone, from the Beton Hall on the banks of the Sava to the Pančevo bridge on the Danube, with smaller or larger areas directly next to the railway tracks. Although the arrangement of a new park in Belgrade sounds nice (especially because it is a very rare phenomenon), this opportunity was used to treacherously insert the conversion of public land into the plan for the park and add tens of thousands of square meters of residential, business and commercial space. The park area within the Detailed Regulation Plan will be financed by the city of Belgrade, however, the local population will not benefit much from it, since the increase in the attractiveness of the area is aimed at increasing the price of land and the construction of unaffordable residential buildings, as evidenced by the projects for the K-district, the former Duga factory, Belgrade Cotton Combine, Novi Dorćol, Žitomlin, all in the immediate vicinity of Linijski Park.

The plan for the detailed regulation of Linijski Park foresees the construction of the Marina Dorćol settlement, a declaratively green settlement that is expected to be "the most elite settlement in Belgrade". The conceptual solution for this settlement envisages the construction of over 200.000 square meters of residential and commercial space, with buildings 44 meters high, although the Plan for the General Regulation of Building Land in Belgrade (higher order plan) foresees a maximum building height of 32m. In addition, this project also appropriates the Power and Light Thermal Power Plant, designated as a cultural monument in 2013, and the plan itself leaves room for its commercialization. An Environmental Impact Assessment Study was prepared for the Marina Dorćol project, which was open for public inspection until May 22.

The first public hearing about Environmental impact assessment studies for the Marina Dorćol project it was supposed to take place on May 22 in the premises of the Secretariat for Environmental Protection, however, as the hall was not secured (they did not expect anyone to come, as they say), it was postponed for a week. In the next term, on May 30, a discussion took place for several hours, but due to the absence of representatives of the relevant institutions, the participants did not receive answers to the numerous questions they asked, thus denying the interested neighbors, as they themselves appreciate, the opportunity to fully understand some aspects of the project and in in accordance with that, he instructs more remarks. On that occasion, it was announced that another discussion would be organized within 7-10 days, with the promise that all representatives of competent public institutions would be present. Although on June 4, representatives of a group of citizens Dorćol in the heart received information that the organization of the discussion is in progress, it has not yet been held. A few more inquiries about its maintenance were made, to which no answers were ever received.

The residents of Danube Quay are concerned about the effects that the Marina Dorćol project will have on their quality of life for several reasons. As they say, they are worried that a 180m long and 3m high building is planned within the complex, which they believe will disrupt the natural flow of air and thus prevent the natural ventilation of neighboring blocks. Also, they believe that 10% of the surface in direct contact with the ground is too little for a project that aims to improve the coast, although the investor convinces them that they will be able to fully enjoy the quay, ride rollerblades and bicycles on carefully thought-out paths and walk through the streets with beautiful tree-lined streets , they observe that most of the green areas are planned in planters on the flat roofs of buildings within the complex, which makes them inaccessible to the majority of quay users. In addition, they draw attention to the fact that this project was made possible by the Detailed Regulation Plan of the Line Park, which was adopted during the corona, when a large number of people were prevented from participating in the public discussion due to the ban on movement. They also remind that this plan allows construction 2.5 times larger than that provided for in the previous detailed regulation plan for this area, all under the pretext of arranging the park and public areas along the Danube bank.