Your home is expropriate

The scandalous bill on the “development of built-up territories” (or, much more logical, on clearing the Khrushchev quarters for development) in the last Wednesday was nevertheless adopted by the city parliament in the first reading. Amendments will be made before February 1. For their preparation, a special working group was formed, which included the chairman of the urban economy Commission, Sergei Nikushin and his three deputy - Vadim Voitanovsky (like Nikeshin, representing United Russia), Anatoly Kosterev (Fair Russia) and Sergey Malkov (Communist Party).

Quarterly overseers
One amendment has already been promised: deputies plan to exclude two quarters located in the Moscow district near the Moscow metro station from the Moskovskaya metro station. Their residents, as you know, achieve exception from any lists, believing their housing quite normal and not in need of demolition. But there may be other amendments - the bill, as even Sergei Nikushin admits, needs very serious processing ...
During the discussion of the bill, vice-governor Alexander Vakhmistrov assured the deputies that no one would forcibly resettle residents of Khrushchevs, and that the living space for immigrants would be given no less than it was, and no less than in social norms (18 meters of total area per person). However, the vice-governor refused to move from the quarterly principle of resettlement to the address. The essence is simple: now the program indicates the numbers of quarters (or territories limited by certain streets) intended for renovation. After that, the administration can demolish there under the pretext of the future “development” at least all the houses are cleaned up. Meanwhile, there can be different houses in this territory - both really dilapidated and quite strong, which there is no need to demolish ... If only an investor is no longer defined, who is interested in the total clearing of the prestigious quarter in their place.
It would seem that the issue is solved simply: indicate the dilapidated houses - and develop. But the administration is categorically against! Allegedly, this is "technically wrong." Moreover, last week, Governor Valentina Matvienko and the Chairman of the Housing Committee, Unis Lukmanov, turned to the still first deputy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev with a request: to legitimize the demolition of not only emergency houses, but also houses, "which fall into the quarter of the reconstruction." The current law does not allow to carry out total demolition of houses, unless they are emergency or do not fall into the construction zone of a strategic facility. And, according to Unis Lukmanov, "a hopeless situation is obtained." But if it is impossible, but I really want to, you can serve a petition, as they believe, to the future president: help, sovereign, without unnecessary ceremonies to demolish the slave shacks! Just think, they are still strong and suitable for housing - but we need an earth, investors at the threshold hit with a hoof and brackets with a ringing coin ...


Khrushchev gave, Putin took
“New” has already noted other shortcomings of the project: there are no clear guarantees for residents of demolished Khrushchevs that they will remain to live in their quarter or in their area and that they will retain the total number of rooms in the apartment (in Khrushchevs, tiny, but individual rooms are typical - and with formal preservation of a total area instead of a three -room apartment, you can get one -room apartment). The issues of compensation for the cost of land for owners of apartments are not resolved, there are no urban planning regulations.
In addition, the project is exclusively frame, and all significant issues in it are proposed to delegate the administration. It will accept many by-laws-as a result of any parliamentary control of the program, it will be impossible. In general, it is not surprising that the Communists and the Socialist Revolutionaries and the Socialist -Revolutionaries were unanimously refused to vote, and even several United Russia spoke against him when discussing the urban commission (including Sergei Nikushin who sharply criticized him). But what is surprising is 29 votes for the adoption of the project in the first reading. This can only be with the joint vote of United Russia, the LDPR and the key of the former Socialist Revolutionary, Alexei Timofeev, who are now disposed of “bears”. Apparently, Nikeshin obeyed party discipline. But when preparing amendments, it will be possible to fix the project (and most importantly - whether these amendments will be accepted) is far from unambiguous.
Another problem that has not yet been regulated by the bill on “development”: where should people live if the promise will leave them in the same territory will be fulfilled? In a maneuvering fund without an elevator, hot water and a bathroom? In specially built huts? What will happen to children who need kindergartens and schools? If people will be relocated to other territories - where are the guarantees that all social infrastructure will be there?
The implementation of the “Development” program will begin with four quarters located in Kalinin (near the metro “Square of Courage”), Kirovsky (in the summer cottage and Ulyanka) and Krasnoselsky (pine glean) areas. They will first be made an object of experiment on the total “clearing” of the city from its inhabitants. Despite the fact that claims to the law are the sea.
And in conclusion-a quote from a discussion of the law on “clearing” on the Internet: “Maybe the next time to adopt the law that if someone else’s property appears to the investor or person close to the city administration, then you can take it away without ceremony?”
No matter how you grin ...

Vladimir Maksimov

Congratulations!
The editors of Novaya Gazeta in St. Petersburg congratulates his colleague Boris Vishnevsky on the release of the Andrei Sakharov Prize for Journalism as an Act to the final of the competition. The jury of the competition praised Vishnevsky’s articles, published mainly in the Novaya Gazeta, and noted it with a diploma.