Residents of Kibbutz Glil Yam take to the courts against project

The residents are appealing against plans to convert some 900 dunams of kibbutz land to a giant residential, commercial and industrial district.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
Residents living near Kibbutz Glil Yam have appealed to the Tel Aviv district court to cancel a massive building project planned for the kibbutz, reports www.local.co.il. The residents are appealing against plans approved by the cities of Herzliya and Ramat Hasharon and by the National Planning and Construction Council to convert some 900 dunams of currently agricultural kibbutz land to a giant residential, commercial and industrial district. According to the report, the residents say their quality of life would be significantly harmed by the project, which would drastically reduce the amount of green space in the area. They also say it is unfair that they should be expected to pay "improvement fees" because of the work, and said the national council and the local authorities had ignored objections and had made their decision in favor of the project without considering all the consequences. A Herzliya municipal spokesman said the plans had been widely discussed and the national council had found the project to be "appropriate and very important." The spokesman said the project would meet urgent needs for more housing, for a cemetery, for a sewage purification plant and more. No date was reported for the court hearing.