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“Hands Away from Batumi Boulevard!” People Request

April 28, 2011

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

“My Name Is Batumi,” “Don’t Chop Down Trees in Batumi Center”, “Save Boulevard,” Batumi residents had to hoist these slogans at the entrance to the Batumi Boulevard several times already. They protest chopping down of hundred-year-old trees and construction of 35-storied skyscraper in the Batumi Boulevard.

Chairman of the Adjara Supreme Council Levan Varshalomidze said only two amortized trees were chopped down. Batumi City Mayor Robert Chkhaidze promised the Human Rights Center to give the copy of the conclusion which proves that the chopped down trees were damaged. However, the Center has been waiting for the conclusion for three days already.

Police officers guard the construction territory of 4 500 sq. meters with iron fence to protect from the citizens who protest the construction and try to protect trees.

Nino Turmanidze: “We are astonished! Why should they chop down these trees?! Each tree equals to the life, the boulevard is a rest place for locals and visitors. Here we should have green trees instead the 35-storied building.”

Lamara Gorgiladze: “The Boulevard does not belong to the government. It belongs to us, the people. So, they should ask us whether we want these trees chopped down and a huge building instead them.”

Lela Abesadze brought a rose made with black gloves to the residence of the Adjara government. “I brought this rose here to tear it off near Levan Varshalomidze’s residence. I want to show them that the government destroys the greenery which is urgently important for us.”

The protest rally at the entrance to the Boulevard started with collecting signatures to stop construction of multifunctional building and chopping down the perennial trees in the boulevard. The petition with signatures will be sent to the President Mikheil Saakashvili, Levan Varshalomidze and Nika Vacheishvili (head of the national agency of cultural inheritance).

The petition states: “We, citizens of Batumi, are against the construction of the multistory house, hotel, business-tower or any other building in the old, historical territory of the Boulevard; it will damage cultural inheritance of the town. We kindly request you to stop the construction in the central part of the Batumi Boulevard. Please protect the cultural inheritance and state interests.”

The construction tablet was hanged upon the fence only on April 26. Before, the territory was surrounded with the fence and the construction activities were going without any notice about it. According to the information tablet, Ltd Railway Property Management is building 35-story building with 170-meter-high building in the Batumi Boulevard. The purpose of the building is: “Multifunctional, office, residential building.” The total space of the construction is 21 100 sq. meters.

Lawyer Ramin Papidze said the government breaches the law. “Unfortunately, the ministry of economic development of Adjara Autonomous Republic illegally registered the 4 500 sq. meters of land in the Batumi Boulevard on April 15, 2011 and then it was assigned to the Ltd Georgian Railway on April 18. On April 19, the latter assigned the land to the Railway Property Management” which was founded by the Georgian Railway Ltd.

The Human Rights Center asked the chairman of the Adjara government and Batumi Mayor to comment on the fact when the protest rally was ending and they were walking in the Era Square. Levan Varshalomidze tried to avoid the question claiming the property did not belong to the Adjara government. However, as an ordinary resident of Batumi he said: “Only two trees were chopped down here which were really damaged. I promise you no more trees will be chopped down.”

Batumi Mayor tried to prove that the chopped down trees were really damaged: “There is a special conclusion and you can read it at the Batumi City Hall. Unfortunately, there are many amortized trees in the Boulevard. It is not first fact when we have to chop down the trees. The Batumi City Hall always tries to plant trees in the town. We have not sold the territory.”

An hour later, on April 26, the tractors renewed to remove the trees from the surrounded territory. The main architect of Batumi Davit Zoidze tried to explain us the situation. “Very often, trees are moved from one to another place in the towns; it is natural process. There is nothing strange here.”

On February 21, 2011 the National Agency of Cultural Inheritance granted the status of monument to the Batumi Boulevard. One month later, the ministry of economics of Adjara registered the Boulevard as its property and then assigned to the Georgian Railway.

The lawyers assess the fact as illegal. Batumi City Mayor also commented about the ongoing construction in the Batumi Boulevard. Robert Chkaidze alleges that only damaged trees were removed from the area; though the video-cameras of the news agency “Matsne” recorded the removal of the young trees from the area.

According to the preliminary data, the total height of the building will be 170 meters and the space of the building will be 4 506 sq. meters. There will be commercial offices in the building.

Davit Robakidze from the Labor Party: “We always requested radical measures to be taken. It is our mistake that we did not dismantle the fence, did not set up tents and compel the government to satisfy our requests.”

Davit Batsikadze from the Conservative Party: “Batumi residents should decide who to compel the government to surrender. We will hold protest rallies every day and compel them to change their goals.”

Aslan Chanidze from the House of Free Journalists: “Chopping down trees in the Batumi Boulevard is the issue which is within the responsibility of every person. So, I ask because of this generation and history. Where are the people who receive high salaries from our taxes paid?! They will always tell us that they have done much for us: roads, communication, etc. They will tell us that the Boulevard has become more beautiful and 3 or 4 people were employed in exchange of one removed tree.”

In parallel to the protest rally, the Adjara Agency of Cultural Inheritance issued permission to construct the 35-storied building in the Batumi Boulevard to the Railway Property Management at 1:10 pm. 9-member council had to issue the permission though only 5 members attended the session.

“Based on the resolution of the council a new instruction will be released which will allow the concrete company to start constructions on the plot of land,” said the representatives of the Adjara Agency of Cultural Inheritance.

Batumi residents together with opposition parties and non-governmental organizations will hold protest rallies at the entrance to the Batumi Boulevard every day at 4:00 pm.

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