J'lem mayor freezes expansion plan

Jerusalem Mayor Uri decides to suspend controversial Safdie plan for development of the hills west of Jerusalem. Decision is victory for green organizations. Among congratulators, former MK Omri Sharon who fought plan during his time in office

Yael Ivri|Published: 11.24.06 , 12:23

Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lopulanski has decided to suspend the controversial Safdie plan for development of the hills west of Jerusalem and to reprioritize the development of the city.

Lopulianski announced that he is planning to ask the state planning and construction board, who is about to deliberate on the issue, to freeze the plan, and to promote other development plans in other neighborhoods of the city.

This week Lopulianski met with representatives of the green organizations in order to establish a broad coalition which will support and promote the other plans in exchange for canceling the plan.

Representatives of the green organizations were delighted at the decision to freeze the plan saying that "the environmental organizations in Jerusalem praise Mayor Lopulianski for the decision and have accepted his call to form a broad coalition to advance alternative plans within the city and strengthen it from the inside."

Former Knesset member and son of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who was one of the leaders of the coalition opposing the plan also praised the decision and the job done by the coalition. "This is real proof that a determined and right struggle can bring good results. I am very happy about the decision and thinks he did the right think," he said.

The Sadfie plan, named after architecht Moshe Safdie who planned the projct, calls for a major development project which will include about 20,000 housing units over an area of 26,600 dunams in the hills west of the city, combining most municipalities into one contiguous block. The plan is sharply opposed by a wide range of bodies and organizations because of the massive environmental damage it will cause effectively destroying acres of natural forests which are used both as natural habitat for local wildlife, as well as leisure and recreation activities for the residents of the area.

The plan has been in the works for more than 10 years after the city of Jerusalem annexed the western hills in 1992. The pressure to build the project came mostly due to demographic problems Jerusalem is facing with an expanding population and limited space and housing to accommodate the growing population.

One of the major reasons for the construction to the west rather than expanding to the east came as pressure from the international community who oppose building to the east of the city because most of the lands there are considered by them as occupied territory.