The Marker,  Gili Melnitsky, 27.12.2020

Last Thursday, the Ministerial Committee on Legislation was scheduled to discuss extending the temporary order that will allow the special government committee to continue accelerating programs in preferred housing complexes (VOTAML). Interior Minister Aryeh Deri made an effort to advance the debate before dissolving the Knesset. Deri, on the recommendation of the professionals in the Planning Administration, is very interested in a committee that works at a fast pace compared to the existing district committees, as well as in areas of urban renewal on a substantial scale in local authorities that he wants to develop in ultra-Orthodox and Arab localities.

But on Wednesday night, Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn , who serves as chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, torpedoed Deri's plans when he dropped the discussion on extending the activities of the WTO, after learning of the opposition of the Ministries of Agriculture and Environmental Protection. Large, and in light of fears of approving a controversial decision on the eve of an election.

During its years of operation, the VOTAM has accumulated strong opposition, including environmental, agricultural and planning bodies - such as the Center of Regional Councils, the Moshavim Movement, the Agricultural Union, the Society for the Protection of Nature, Zalul and the headquarters of the struggle for sanity. Planning and promoting large housing complexes within the framework of the WTO.

"The focus around the metro stations will not allow the committee to promote massive planning in the heart of a forest, but only in built-up areas.

"Votamal has extensive and extreme powers to overpower the entire planning hierarchy in a predatory manner, while contradicting existing master plans and the lack of a right of appeal on the part of residents and stakeholders," the opponents claim in a joint position paper redistributed in recent days. . "The plans planned at VOTAL have encouraged damage to agricultural land, an existing social fabric and providing a solution for residents of old cities."

"The OTMAL is Acute for Urban Renewal"

It seems that Nissenkorn's move will displace the discussion on the WTMAL until a new government is formed, but Interior Ministry and Planning Administration officials are expected to work vigorously in the next two days to resume the discussion in the future.

Among the people who believe that the activities of the VOTAML are essential and irreplaceable are Einat Ganon, the deputy director of the Urban Renewal Authority. "The WTO is acute for urban renewal," she claims. "And urban renewal is one of the essential accelerators for the recovery of the entire economy.

"While the entire economy is slowing down, 33,000 apartments are currently on the Wattamal table for approval. The freeze means that 33,000 families are left in dilapidated buildings, in poor conditions and without security. The plans without discussion, but these plans should be discussed in the WTO.

Urban renewal in Netanya Photo: Alonim Gurevitz

Why is it impossible to be content with the activities of the district committees?

"An important statistic needs to be put on the table: 71% of the new apartments approved for urban renewal in 2019 were through the WTO. From the end of 2017, we began promoting evacuation plans for 67,000 apartments through the WTO, following a change in the law that expanded the committee's powers. This is a crazy pace, almost a miracle. This move put real competition with the district committees and improved processes and schedules. The greatness of urban renewal is the time it takes to realize projects, and the planning phase is part of the chain, so it is important to shorten.

"From the end of 2017, we began to promote construction evacuation plans for 67,000 apartments, following a change in the law that expanded the powers of the WTO. It's a crazy pace, almost a miracle "

"The first plan to evacuate construction that we announced at VOTAL was in January 2018, in the SY Agnon neighborhood of Netanya. The plan that was promoted there to a complex of 200 units, which became 800 apartments, was approved within six months, and building permits are currently being obtained . These are amazing schedules. We also approved the largest plan ever for urban renewal in Israel - 10,000 apartments in Kiryat Moshe in Rehovot. We approved a huge amount of housing units in a year and a half. "

How does the WTO do it?

"The shortening of the procedure is possible thanks to the committee's ability to produce coordination between several bodies sitting around the same table. In Kiryat Moshe, there were significant transportation issues, and the WTO was able to bring together Netivei Israel and the Ministry of Transportation to establish an interchange. It would have taken much longer in the district committee.

"For comparison, in Or Yehuda we have three urban renewal plans, which due to the proximity to the airport are committed to noise and height restrictions. At VOTAL, everything can be done in advance, and it is worth a lot of time and money in the world of planning and construction. "

So why does VOTAL have so many opponents?

"The leaders of the public struggle are mainly opposed to construction in open spaces, but the committee has already replaced a floppy disk and the new focus is mainly around metro stations and urban renewal. Most of the plans will be within the cities.

Move to Gallery View

It has been said since 2018, but in reality it is not really so. The temporary directive promoted by Deri still allows VOTAML to plan in open areas in ultra-Orthodox and Arab localities.

"The truth must be told: even so, the possibilities for promoting planning in open spaces are few. The focus around metro stations will not make it possible to promote plans in the heart of a forest and in any open space, because the whole idea of ​​the metro must be in the heart of built-up areas.

"The focus has changed, and the current VOTAL is a completely different committee than the one we knew before. The committee members understand what an environmental survey and a social survey are and are even more careful than the district committees about public participation. "Contrary to previous plans in open areas, the Binui evacuation complexes require cooperation and coordination with the local authority."

Why not limit the WTO to a discussion of urban renewal only?

"The housing market cannot be thrown away for urban renewal alone. Sometimes ministers can decide certain situations. There have already been plans stopped by the agriculture minister, and if there are plans in open areas that seem problematic, ministers will fulfill their role and stop them. But plans must not be blocked. Urban renewal at their expense. "

What happened to the field of urban renewal in the Corona crisis?

"We are not in a bad situation in terms of the rate of approval of the plans, but less than the target. In 2019, we approved 26,000 housing units, and this year we have approved about 24,000 housing units so far. In 2020, we expected an increase, but the WTO was paralyzed."

Is the government prepared for the day after TAMA 38?

"We are busy creating urban plans and providing support that will enrich the range of tools, and the Arrangements Law touched on the angles needed to resolve many issues in renewal. The government understands the importance of urban renewal, and it has promoted umbrella agreements and assistance to local authorities. Deri, Litzman and Katz Expand powers. "Urban renewal should be a major part of the toolbox, because it not only produces additional housing units, but also affects the lives of existing residents and the public space."