Urban and local planning issues have arisen on the sites earmarked for the creation of peripheral car parks in Chania, while the Municipal Authority seems intent on pursuing its plan to use part of the former Markopoulou barracks as a provisional parking lot until the project for its transformation into a park gets under way. In the meantime, sweeping changes in traffic management within the city are envisaged in the Municipality’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), which is to be implemented over a ten-year period.
The final form of the SUMP was presented by the planner Apostolos Bizakis on 12th July in the conference room of the Chania City Council. It envisages extensive pedestrianisations, area regeneration, introduction of one-way streets, cycle tracks, use of mass transit systems, peripheral parking lots etc. At the core of the proposals is a reduction in car use, development of public transport and the use of soft mobility methods.
The plan is to turn it into a park for the benefit of local citizens, but the Municipality’s announced intention to use a portion of it as a temporary car park for 1,000 cars has aroused opposition from local residents and environmental groups.
Speaking to reporters, the deputy mayor for Technical Services Michalis Kalogridakis stressed that parts of the plan are already being implemented, notably area regeneration and the acquisition of 5 electric buses, which are due to be delivered at the end of the summer. As regards the peripheral car parks, Mr Kalogridakis said that things were progressing but “many urban planning issues have arisen, as well as local ones such as the delimitation of water courses. … We will need some time to complete all these bureaucratic processes. The important thing, however, is that there is a plan, which did not exist for all those years,” he added.
Asked about the location of the peripheral car parks, he said that they were sites which would “embrace the old Municipality of Chania”, notably:
– In the area of Kladissos, where the course of a stream needs to be delimited and there must be a change to the town plan, while the expropriation of some private plots of land is proceeding.
– On the Mournies Road, where the site in question is being expropriated.
– A site opposite the Chapel of St Luke is also expected to be expropriated.
– Likewise, expropriation will be proceeding in the case of the site on Sofokli Venizelou Street, on the side towards Akritiriou Street, where the course of a stream needs to be determined.
These particular cases, Mr Kalogridakis explained, have been initiated in the past two years but more time, court decisions and Presidential Decrees are needed to change the use of the sites and turn them into peripheral car parks.
As regards the prospects for an underground car park at the National Stadium of Chania, the deputy mayor explained that the stadium does not belong to the Municipality of Chania, however an approach has been made to the central authority and geological studies are needed, so that will make it a more long-term prospect.
There are long-term plans to create an underground car-park at the National Stadium of Chania, to ease congestion in the area. Photo: ERTNews
Asked about the former Markopoulou Barracks Mr Kalogridakis replied “We have said that once the planning is completed there will be an underground car park for the needs of the park and the surrounding area, but until then we will see if we can use a small section to help the traffic situation until the studies are completed and we get the urban park we have talked about.”
Haniotika Nea 12/07/23