If you’re planning to go to Odesa this summer, be prepared for the fact that you can’t just get to any beach.
Many have been forcefully taken away for construction in violation of all laws – not only the ones concerning free access. On the slopes of station 13 of the Big Fountain, once upon a time it was possible to have a picnic with a beautiful view.
Now, it has been surrounded by fences of another construction site. For officials, this is a future sanatorium.
Odesa City Hall turns a blind eye to the fact that developers have begun to sell apartments in these so-called sanatoriums. The developer of this residential complex with an ironic name, La Mer, initially assured that it will only strengthen the slope at 13 stations of the Big Fountain. However, soon the company began selling apartments on this site. And no matter how officials repudiate their responsibility in developing the coast, it was they who launched the construction of La Mer under the guise of strengthening the slope – the corresponding decision is on the city council website.
On May 11, the Fifth Appeal Administrative Court banned the Intergal-Bud developer from carrying out any work on the slope. However, the company ignored this and continues to build on.
Right beside La Mer is a growing building complex called Graf u Morya. Local residents and activists repeatedly recorded mud pouring out into the trench drain after a rainy day — which eventually made its way out into the sea.
Next, we have the Persephona and Calypso residential complexes. Calypso is where part of a slope collapsed in early June. Developers have been repeatedly warned on the dangers of building on that location. However, so far no warning or safety concern has stopped anyone. Every year the coast is getting smaller, with little to no space left for Odesa’s residents.
Last year in November, a section of the beach was fenced on 1/5 French Boulevard. That’s where Varda Plus LLC wants to build a yacht club, in addition to three high-rises, parking, and a restaurant. Officials themselves confirmed that they had granted permission for this project. However, later the prosecutor’s office intervened. The lawsuit is still ongoing. Legally developers aren’t violating the “access to the sea” law – moreover, they are abiding the rule by leaving a narrow pathway near their construction sites. So there is technically a passage to the sea, but how wide it should be, is not specified in the law. Right before the holiday season began, mayor Gennady Trukhanov promised to deal with developers. However, local authorities have not stopped a single construction site. Meanwhile, Odesa beaches continue being rented out – for cafes, restaurants, and other businesses. The central government is currently ignoring the chaotic development of the latter territories which are meant for local residents.
Ksenya Sitinskaya is a journalist with Channel 7 Odesa, part of the KADORR Group, which also owns the Kyiv Post. Daryna Sarhan is the translation editor.
