OV Novi Grad against the Urban Plan: Cemetery at Žuč, expansion of Smiljevići landfill, road through 'Safet Zajko' park

(Patria) - The Municipal Council of Novi Grad Sarajevo held a thematic session last week, discussing the provision of the Opinion of the Municipal Council of Novi Grad Sarajevo on the draft Urban Plan for urban areas of Sarajevo (Stari Grad, Centar, Novo Sarajevo, Novi Grad, Vogošća, Ilidža) for a period of 20 years.

The draft Urban Project was presented by Edin Jenčiragić, Deputy Director for Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection of the Institute for Planning and Development of Sarajevo Canton.

He stated that intensive work was done with local communities and colleagues from the Municipality regarding objections to the draft Urban Plan, but that more than 40 to 50% of the objections were not accepted, while 50% were accepted, depending on the request.

“The basic concept of the plan has not been significantly changed. We have duly responded to all doubts and questions from all local communities. We at the Institute are satisfied with this document. There are certainly some omissions, we tried to correct them, but I think we have created and channeled a document that will completely redefine behavior in the space,” Jenčiragić explained.

However, during the discussion, councilors presented a series of objections and illogicalities foreseen by the Plan, and emphasized that such an Urban Plan cannot be supported. A conclusion was adopted requesting the Institute for Planning and Development of Sarajevo Canton to incorporate all 11 points of the said conclusion into the Urban Plan. If this is not respected, the Municipal Council will consider that the conditions for giving a positive opinion on the draft Urban Plan for the urban area of Sarajevo for the period 2026/2046 have not been met.

The Mayor of Novi Grad Sarajevo Municipality, Semir Efendić, said that during the procedure of drafting the Urban Plan, the Municipality of Novi Grad submitted a number of very important objections.

“We believe that normal life and functioning of Novi Grad would be jeopardized if the plan remains as adopted by the Assembly of Sarajevo Canton. First of all, we consider the expansion of the city landfill unacceptable. We believe that a new location should be sought for it, rather than planning its further expansion within the urban city area. The location is exhausted and after more than 50 years of disposal, it can no longer be a disposal site; this plan attempts to expand it. We have stated that the Municipality of Novi Grad cannot accept this. In other words, we cannot support such an Urban Plan. Furthermore, the plan for the city highway to pass through Safeta Zajke and Drinska streets is also problematic for us from the aspect of normal life. We requested a change in the rank of that road to a main city road, thus with access possibilities. When it comes to a highway, it cannot be accessed; there are dozens of streets on the upper side that currently connect via Safeta Zajke street. It would be replaced by a highway, to which citizens would have no access. We demand that through the Urban Plan, this be planned as a main city road with different connection conditions,” emphasized Mayor Semir Efendić.

Also, it is absurd that the Urban Plan has the Northern longitudinal road on the right bank of the Miljacka River passing through the stadium, i.e., the athletic track of the “Safet Zajko” Center, thereby effectively cutting this largest park, an oasis of greenery, into two parts with a road.

The Municipality requested that it be moved to the left side or the left bank of the Miljacka River. In that case, it would not threaten anything.

Also unacceptable is the proposal to plan a city cemetery at Žuč.

“We are trying to change these parts of the plan, but we face a lack of understanding from Sarajevo Canton. These are very significant objections on our part,” stated Municipal Mayor Semir Efendić.

In addition to the above, the Municipality also proposed connecting Hrasnica and Dobrinja, the location where the new tram turnaround is now, to be connected with the X transversal in Dobrinja, thereby ensuring a quality connection between these parts of the Novi Grad and Ilidža municipalities, where tram and other traffic infrastructure could be integrated.

At the session, it was also said that the Institute for Planning and Development of Sarajevo Canton, as an argument for rejecting the proposals of the Municipality of Novi Grad Sarajevo, cites the fact that it is planned that way by the spatial plan. However, as pointed out, there are concrete examples where people from the Institute planned certain facilities and infrastructure differently than foreseen by the Spatial Plan.

Given that the Spatial Plan is expiring, Mayor Semir Efendić believes that the mentioned objections should be accepted and a new plan should be drafted.

At the session, it was emphasized that no urban plan can be implemented without the Municipality, and that adopting a plan is pointless if the Municipality does not agree with it, because it will not be possible to implement it. Ultimately, municipalities are the ones that implement plans, and if there is no agreement from the municipalities, they will not be implemented. Therefore, it is very important to accept the position of the local community, so that the Municipality, the Canton, and other levels of government can succeed in implementing this plan, it was concluded at the session of the Municipal Council, as well as that the Municipality of Novi Grad and the Municipal Council do not agree with such a plan.

An invitation was sent to assembly representatives not to support this document until all objections of the Municipality of Novi Grad Sarajevo are incorporated into it, because its adoption in its current content would cause long-term damage to the local community and its citizens.

“We have other ways to protect ourselves as a local community, if it is insisted that they remain in the plan. I must say that according to the current law, Sarajevo Canton is not at all competent to adopt the Urban Plan. That is the competence of the City Council and city municipalities for the city of Sarajevo. According to the Law on Principles of Local Self-Government of the Federation of BiH, these are matters of the local community,” concluded Mayor Efendić.

The Chairman of the Municipal Council of Novi Grad Sarajevo, Haris Alihodžić, emphasized that what the Council adopted, regarding the conclusion they proposed, is exclusively the voice of the people.

“I think that anyone reasonable who goes to the Smiljevići landfill will determine for themselves that it spreads an unpleasant smell, that residents of surrounding settlements have problems with the landfill. It is planned for expansion in this plan, they even call it a nice name, like a Waste Center, which in practice it is not. All of this that we have listed is exclusively the voice of the people,” added Chairman Alihodžić.