Athens seeks to bar building height bonus
The Municipality of Athens is joining the effort to block the issuance of building permits based on the bonuses included in the new building regulation.
The city’s municipal council decided on Monday, citing a legal opinion, to ask the city planning department to refrain from issuing building permits that include such bonuses, arguing that the municipality is governed throughout its territory by a special framework dating back to 1955.
To this end, Mayor Haris Doukas submitted a proposal to the municipal council to “exclude” these bonuses within the limits of the capital. The proposal was based on a legal opinion by the office of Alivizatos-Kiousopoulou.
The city council’s decision will now have to be reviewed by the Decentralized Administration.
Critics of the bonus, including suburban mayors, say it allows higher buildings to the detriment of the city’s character.
