Globes, Guy Nardi, 19.02.2020
A district appeals committee reversed the Raanana Municipality's decision not to approve the construction of a 6-story residential building. Paradoxically, the appeal committee decision rests on the urban outline plan. In other words - about the planning vision of the municipality itself.
The issue concerns the lot on Yehuda Halevi Street in Ra'anana, on which is now an old one-story building with a tiled roof, reminiscent of the building in former colonies. The street, despite its proximity to Ahuza Street, which is the city's main street, is a relatively narrow street (12 meters) and is characterized by ground-floor construction of cottages and also several low-rise apartments. The owners of the building, Yehuda and Ofra Levy, who sought to build a 6-story building with 19 units, faced resistance from neighbors who said they wanted to keep the neighborhood low-rise.
The city building plan began on the area where the building is located (Bad / 166/1), from 1983, stipulating that it can be erected in the lot where the old building, measuring 840 square meters, is a two-story residential building with a built-up area of 505 square meters. On the other hand, the Raanana City Outline Plan, which was approved for validity in 2016, seeks to crowd the area and increase construction rights from 70% to 300%. The plan submitted by the landowners is, of course, based on the interpretation of the outline plan.
After discussing the local committee and depositing it, a number of objections were raised by residents from the area, including former Mayor Nahum Hofree. This is the case for maintaining the character of the neighborhood. The local committee discussed the matter, and decided to accept the objections, and to reject the entire plan, as this is a foreign plant in an area of land-tight textured construction, which has traffic and parking distress and therefore does not apply the outline plan.
Attorneys Eli Wilczyk and Ophir Cohen of Cohen Wilchick & Co., who represented the developers, on appeal to the District Appeals Committee, wrote that "the local committee's decision to reject the proposed plan is an unreasonable and unreasonable decision made, disregarding the position of the professionals In the local committee, based on feelings and explanations that not only lack a factual or professional basis, but are in direct contrast to national and district planning trends and policies. "
The District Appeals Committee, headed by Adv. Il Theodore Sharon, accepted the appeal and accepted the proposed plan for a 6-story building. Requiring overcrowding of housing areas, especially in Israeli city centers. According to the appellant, so too in our understanding, the plan is a proper and proper plan, which also reflects the latest planning trends as found in the outline plan. Simply put: 841sqm real estate, located in a second building line to Ahuza Street, walking distance and bicycle to existing and planned passenger highways, is not appropriate to leave with an old-fashioned 1983 construction, allowing a total of 5 units total.