site.btaSofia Mayor Says New Borisova Gradina Development Plan Will Protect Park

Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that the new Detailed Development Plan (DDP) for Borisova Gradina park would provide long-term protection for the park, limit arbitrary planning decisions and place the public interest above private interests. He said 441 submissions from citizens and organizations had been received on the draft DDP and would be reviewed by the Municipal Expert Council on Spatial Planning on July 15.

The DDP for the park has drawn criticism from environmentalists and members of the public for permitting an increase in vehicle numbers.

Following the removal of a 140 sq. m illegal structure next to Lake Ariana, Terziev said the demolition was carried out at no cost to Sofia Municipality. He said the structure had occupied public land for nearly two decades without a contract or legal basis and had not served a public function in recent years. He described its removal as another step toward restoring public spaces and said Sofia Municipality applied the law equally to all illegal developments.

He said the new plan aims to preserve Borisova Gradina as Sofia's largest park by limiting new construction, protecting its historic features, creating conditions for the acquisition of privately owned land for public use, restoring landmarks including the Maria Luiza swimming complex, the Summer Theatre, Yunak Stadium and the water canal, improving pedestrian and cycling access, and restricting vehicle access within the park.

On June 17, residents gathered in Borisova Gradina to call for the suspension of the DDP procedure, demanding that the park remain free of new construction, fencing and cars. Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning Lyubomir Georgiev said at the time that the public interest would be protected and that no new construction would be allowed in the park.