Weekly Update 27

February 28, 2025

Hello, everyone.

Summary:

• Update regarding the event hall that the council head sought to build on the public open space adjacent to the “Ohel Yaakov” synagogue in the historic heart of the town. A series of cover-ups and misrepresentations led council members to vote in favor of the plan that had already been submitted. For now, the plan has been halted thanks to letters I sent and various problems discovered in the plan. But it continues—this week, an important site visit took place with the participation of the mayor, the municipal engineer, representatives of the synagogue association, representatives of the Council for the Preservation of Sites, and the chair of the Haifa District Planning and Construction Committee.

However, neither the representatives of the council’s preservation committee nor I were invited to the tour, even though I reached out and asked: Why weren’t we invited? What are they trying to prevent them—and the public—from knowing?

• Construction of the Zichrona Neighborhood: A massive plan has been submitted for public objections, under which 250 units of sheltered housing and a large commercial area will be built on a plot of nearly 12 dunams. The developers are seeking a series of additions. This is the time to submit objections by April 10, 2025. Full details below

First Issue—Update regarding the event hall that the council head sought to build on the public open space adjacent to the “Ohel Yaakov” synagogue in the historic heart of the moshava. The synagogue is a national heritage site with a strict preservation status. From the developments I will present here, it appears that the mayor is seeking to prevent elected officials who are members of the Preservation Committee from participating in a process in which their participation is required and mandatory.

What does this mean?

For new subscribers to the newsletter and for those who may have forgotten, I would like to remind you that I was the one who sent a series of letters to stop the construction plan, which would have caused irreparable damage to historical and heritage values. A construction plan for the event hall was submitted to the Haifa District Planning and Construction Committee by the council, all without first going through the council’s Preservation Committee—which is a statutory committee—as required, and without informing the council members.

The District Committee required the Council Chair to obtain approval from the plenary session so that the Council would be designated as the project’s developer—and that is how we first learned of the plan’s existence, as well as of an association established in August 2024 that registered its address at the synagogue, which is prohibited by law (I have raised this issue with the council’s legal advisor, who is dragging his feet on enforcing the law here).

The deception continued: at the council meeting, the council head did not mention that there was a plan, did not present the plan, and did not indicate that there were strict preservation plans and guidelines established by several entities: the Ministry of the Interior (Sh/233), the District Committee (TAMM 6), and the Council itself (Sh/12/c)—all of which prohibit such activity on the synagogue grounds. Additional information that the council head did not disclose at the plenary session included two letters from previous years, in which representatives of the District Committee expressed opposition to any such plan.

Council members were misled because they were not presented with the necessary information and voted in favor; I was the only one who opposed it.

A series of letters I sent to the Ministry of the Interior, the Council for the Preservation of Sites, and the District Committee—which I reported to you here—combined with the plan’s many problems, led to its rejection by the District Committee.

This week, a site tour was conducted with the participation of: the Council Chair, the Council Engineer, representatives of the Synagogue Association (who, according to the Council Chair, have no property rights at the site), representatives of the Council for the Preservation of Sites, and the Chair of the Haifa District Planning and Construction Committee.

One guess—who wasn’t invited and didn’t participate in the tour, even though they had reached out and requested it in the past?

Me—even though I reached out and asked to attend the tour, they didn’t even respond.

But worse than that—none of the members of the Council’s Preservation Committee were invited—whose presence is mandatory since this is a property designated for preservation, and any plan regarding it requires a preliminary discussion by the committee and its approval. Incidentally, this was not done at any stage of the plan’s submission.

Are they trying to hide something from the public? Or from elected officials in general and members of the Preservation Committee in particular?

Instead of conducting a transparent and professional process, the members of the Preservation Committee were not invited to this important tour.

Our party does not know what was presented during the tour or what decisions were made, but we will continue to monitor and provide updates for the sake of the public and the preservation of a national heritage site.

Second issue: Construction of the Zichrona neighborhood

In the Zichrona complex, an area of nearly 12 dunams has been designated for 250 units of sheltered housing and a large commercial area.

A few months ago, the developer submitted application number 353-1259019. The application included additional rights and the following main changes:

1. Increasing the main above-ground area for special housing and nursing units.

2. Increasing the above-ground service areas.

3. Increasing the underground service areas for parking.

4. Establishment of guidelines for construction and development.

5. Modification of building lines for special housing.

6. Adding a floor for special housing.

7. Adding a floor to the underground parking garage to meet the required parking standards.

8. Conversion of service areas from commercial to special housing.

9. Increasing the height of the commercial facade to accommodate a protective roof

Numerous additions are requested that would make the building several times larger. The plan falls under the authority of the District Committee. In accordance with procedure, the plan was also submitted for review by the Baron Regional Committee, which includes two representatives from the community.

During the discussion held by the Regional Committee, the position of the Council and the district members was to recommend that the district reject the request and the proposed plan for the following reasons:

A. No justification was presented or explained for adding land in the absence of a plan and program. Implementation of the Zichrona plan has been postponed for 10 years, so there is no need to put the cart before the horse. It is likely that after 10 years, standards will change, and any changes should be examined comprehensively rather than on a case-by-case basis, as requested in this plan at this time.

B. No planning rationale was provided as to why one floor should be raised to 7.5 meters and the entire building raised on a selective basis without regard to the surrounding areas and the approved plan, nor was it explained why there should be an exception or deviation.

I welcome this decision by the Regional Committee. However, the final decision rests solely with the District Committee, and therefore all objections must be submitted to it.

It is easy to see how this inflated plan will lead to the construction of a massive building adjacent to the Halomot neighborhood. Worse still, once this is approved, it could pave the way for more and more such buildings demanded by developers who have purchased land in Zichron Ya’acov and are already seeking to begin development.

The deadline for submitting objections is April 10, 2025 (two months from the date of publication of the notice).

Click on this link to the plan for all the details:

https://mavat.iplan.gov.il/SV4/1/3005331902/310

I recommend that everyone take action and submit objections:

• the landowners whose land was expropriated
• Residents who dream that it will be built right next to them
• Parents whose children attend schools in the educational complex adjacent to Moshava Park, because this massive structure will be built right next to them.
• Every resident like you who sees the problems with this plan.

This is the notice posted on a pole in Halomot: