The objection process for the Special Urban Plan in Mati and the wider area affected by the fire has been extended until 9 September. The objections concern both well-known issues, such as the exemption from urban development of the settlements of Ampeloupolis and Provalinthos, and issues arising from the urban development of the territory, such as zoning of some sites, management of the coastal zone, and others.

A special urban development plan, published in early August, covers five sites that have been decided to be urbanized: Agia Marina (146 acres), Mati (1371 acres), Kokkino Limanaki (559 acres), Skoufeika (308 acres). .) and Pefkonas (210 sq.m). The deadline for filing objections was due on 2 September, but was extended by a week following protests from the municipalities (Marathona and Rafina-Piquermio). It should be noted that yesterday the plan to create a complex of buildings for the rehabilitation of fire victims was approved by the Central Urban Planning Council (KESYPOTHA).

Basically, they concern the exclusion from urban planning of two arbitrary settlements and the zoning of a large number of sites.

In an area with many urban planning issues such as this, there must have been many objections to aspects of the plan. The most basic comes from the inhabitants of two arbitrary settlements, Provalinthos and Ampeloupolis, which were “excluded” from urban planning as a study forest. “The fact that a special urban plan is drawn up without finalizing the forest map is problematic in itself,” Dimitris Dunis, president of the Gerotsakulio O Provalinthos residents’ cooperative, tells K. “Our neighborhoods, which share the same characteristics as Mati and Neo Wutz, have been left to wait. We presented a forester’s study explaining why our village is not a forested area, but it was not taken into account. However, our road network was rehabilitated by the Ministry of Infrastructure – so are we a forest or not a forest? Why were the forest areas in Neo-Vutsa, Mati and Kokkino-Limanaki declassified? Were there different fire victims?

Objections were also filed by individual residents on specific issues, such as converting undeveloped parts of waterfront lots into public areas or even into bather service areas (without expropriating them). In addition, several people filed objections to the zoning of their property. “When a plot is included, the land and money tax is collected from the owners. However, some seem to have been relieved of this obligation, while others are burdened too much,” says Kostas Boutsikos, a local civil engineer.

“Most of the reactions are reasonable,” says Marathon Mayor Stergios Tsirkas. “For example, a very large number of roads and sidewalks have been cut down, as a result of which many sections have been asphalted. Many houses have also created small common spaces instead of smaller and larger ones, while in Mati there is no room for a school. Finally, I consider it wrong to exclude Ampeloupolis and Provalinthos, which were divided by decision of the state.