The Parliament discussed with the I reading and approved with 75 votes against 15 the Bill on Spatial Planning, Architectural and Construction Activity Code, and adopted the Bill on Rules of Expropriation for Urgent Public Needs with 74 votes against 17.

According to the Parliamentary Secretary of the Government, Vakhtang Bachiashvili, the package serves for the solution of the problem related to the hazardous residential buildings in Batumi. The greatest part of the buildings is not subject to the fortification and poses a threat to the health and lives of the residents. Batumi Municipality has already developed the expert opinion for 118 hazardous buildings housing 3000 families.

As the reporter noted, Batumi Municipality, backed by Ajara AR Government, has developed the 4-year program on replacement/rehabilitation of the hazardous buildings, and based on the Governmental Resolution, approved the State Target Program “Batumi without Hazardous Buildings”, however, deriving from the scale of the issue, the problem cannot be fully resolved and hence, it is expedient to solve the problem with the engagement of all parties concerned, including construction and developer companies, which was the objective of the development of the changes to the Law.

The Bill introduces the regulation allowing Batumi City Hall to exceed the land development intensity maximal coefficient pursuant to the rules established under the legal acts prior to the enactment of the Code and the ratification of the Batumi Master Plan.

According to the Majority and Opposition MPs, the problem is of vast scale and contains risks related to the granting of sole authority to Batumi City Hall; hence, respective remarks have been expressed. As the reporter noted, certain remarks have already been shared after the Committee hearing and expressed the commitment to further cooperating with the Parliament.

According to the Chair of the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee, Mikheil Sarjveladze, if all problems are not addressed and all risks are not insured, the Bill will not be finally adopted; however, it will be approved on the level of the principles with the I reading. The bill is submitted for expedited consideration.