Herzliya city council approves NIS 20m. beach promenade

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
The Herzliya city council has approved an agreement to build a beach promenade from the marina to the Daniel Hotel for NIS 20 million, reports www.local.co.il. But not all councilors were in favor of the deal, with Green faction leader Dror Ezra saying it was a blatant attempt to make more money out of the beaches and that it would harm the general public. According to the report, the council approved a deal in which the city would spend NIS 5 million and the Municipal Tourism Development Company would spend NIS 15 million to build a promenade along the beach adjacent to the cliffs. The work would take an estimated 14 months. Mayor Yael German welcomed the agreement, describing it as "brilliant" and saying that Herzliya's residents would be grateful for a "wonderful process that opens a new door for entertainment in the city." But Ezra said the city was trying to commercialize the beaches. "This attempt to turn the beach into a money-making machine will harm the general public in the Sharon area, for whom the beach is a tranquil refuge from daily turmoil," Ezra said. He said the city had already sacrificed 800 meters of beach for the marina and its commercial activities, and it would be an "injustice" to sacrifice a further 800 meters for intensive commercial activities.