The City Hall of Sector 3 is building a road through Pantelimon Park. It’s about the shoulder to turn right from Cățelu Station Road onto Pantelimon Road, past the gas station. The foundation of the road has already been made, it goes through the park, among the trees.

“In the area mentioned by you, the Sector 3 City Hall intends to build sidewalks to facilitate the exit from Sector 3 to Biruintsei Boulevard. In this way, the intersection of the road Cățelu Station – Dudești-Pantelimon road is facilitated. Drivers will be able to reach the previously mentioned boulevard, thus avoiding two intersections,” reads the response of the Sector 3 City Hall to HotNews.ro’s request. I also asked if the road had a building permit and the necessary approvals, but I did not receive an answer to these questions.

Nikusor Dan: The thought was wrong

I also asked the capital city hall’s point of view on whether it has given its consent to this investment and whether it is being carried out legally. The institution replied that it did not have the authority to check.

“The streets you mentioned in your request are under the administration of Sector 3 of the Bucharest Municipality. Taking into account the provisions of Art. 4 para. (1) lit. d) from Law No. 50/1991 on construction permits, reissued, with the following changes and additions, in conjunction with Art. 72 par. (1) lit. a) from the methodological norms of the application of the Law No. 50/1991 on the permit for construction works dated 12.10.2009, the authorization and control authority is assigned to sector 3 of the municipality of Bucharest, respectively to the General Directorate of the local police, sector 3,” says the answer sent capital city hall.

In the same answer, however, it is indicated that the city hall, through the transport directorate, has given approval for the road through the park.

“The City Hall of Sector 3 issued Town Planning Certificate No. 361/27.03.2023 for granting a permit to carry out construction works on “repair, modernization, vertical systematization of streets, sidewalks and parking lots located along the perimeter bounded by transport highways of the building. Nikolay Hryhorescu, Sos. Dudești Pantelimon, Road between Tarlale, Road Gura Racului, Victor Brauner str., Gura Crivățului str., Fetești str., Aleea Perișoru, bd. Teodor Palladi”, and the Technical Road Commission of Bucharest City Hall issued Notice no. 65765/ 21.04.2023 regarding the “reconstruction of the road and transport network at the intersection with St. Cățelu railway stations x DN3 x road. Dudesti Pantelimon,” said the response of the capital’s mayor’s office. The road through the park is clearly shown in the annex to the notice.

When asked why the city hall gave permission to build a road through the park, the general mayor Nikushor Dan replied that it was a mistake.

“This road is nonsense, to be clear. In our case, the procedure is such that the approval is given by the Department of Transport after consultation with the technical road commission, where there are traffic specialists. Only this summer, we introduced two urban planners to this commission, who would also provide an urban planning perspective, but such an opinion was given earlier. Otherwise, those on the commission had only this view of the circulation and made this mistake. From a legal point of view, it is not illegal, because the green space law provides an exception for public works, you can build a road through the park, but from an urban planning point of view, it is stupid, no discussion. Now we have nothing to do, because the permission was granted based on our opinion and the road was built. We will have a discussion in a few years when we will see how viable all the investments in Pantelimon Park are,” Mayor Nikušor Dan told HotNews.ro.

According to Law No. 24/2007 on the regulation and management of green spaces in cities:

• A change in the intended purpose of a land plot registered in the local register of green spaces can be carried out only for the implementation of communal works established on the basis of urban planning documentation approved in accordance with current legislation.
• It is forbidden to change the intended purpose, reduce the area or move the green spaces defined by this Law.

This is not the only construction of the town hall in Pantelimon Park. Here, on a green plot, the institution is building an aqua park, in which it has currently invested about 160 million lei. The City Hall of Sector 3 wants to transfer the water park to a concession when it completes the work.

There is no parking in the water park, cars must be left on the side of the park, on the station road Ketselu, where there are several hundred parking spaces. The problem is that without this lane across the park, it would be difficult to get cars out of this parking lot.