Prague - The reconstruction of the Shooting Island in the center of Prague is being delayed. The city hall still does not have the necessary building permit for the planned renovation. Therefore, the management of Prague 1 did not include the necessary funds in the budget proposal for next year, said the mayor of the first district, Filip Dvořák (ODS), during a public debate today. Before the planned reconstruction of the island, about 50 trees will first be cut down, which the city hall must accomplish during the period of vegetation dormancy. The repair has already been postponed several times; most recently, the city hall wanted to start the felling in October. The mayor's words were partially confirmed by the spokesperson for Prague 1, Alexander Koráb. He told ČTK that tree felling will not start this year. However, the spokesperson did not know if the city hall would manage to obtain the necessary permits by the end of the vegetation period. The mayor's statement surprised the architect Tomáš Jiránek present, who participated in the preparation of the reconstruction proposal. "Someone should responsibly acknowledge that there are currently 55 dangerous trees on the island," Jiránek said. If, according to him, the city district delays the project until the next dormancy period, the trees that the dendrological assessment identified as dangerous will need to be treated. Debate over the felling of trees on Shooting Island has been ongoing for almost a year. The original plans for the reconstruction were supposed to involve cutting down nearly 90 trees, which was opposed by ecological organizations led by the civic association Arnika. A working group was therefore formed to examine each tree on the island. Its members ultimately agreed to cut down 45 to 55 trees depending on the condition of their roots. Although Jakub Esterka from Arnika welcomes the agreement, the Green Party is demanding a new dendrological assessment. "For me, greenery is an absolute priority. Every single tree has extraordinary value," said Martin Bursík (Green Party) during the debate. He therefore wants the city district to commission a new assessment to ensure that no tree that could still be protected is cut down. The acquisition of a building permit is being delayed by the disagreement of heritage conservationists, who particularly dislike the plan to build an elevator that would lead from the Legions Bridge to Shooting Island. The entire repair of the island will cost the city district about 40 million korunas, with plans to build new surfaces, benches, and to plant dozens of new trees in place of those that are cut down. The organizers of the United Islands festival also have comments on the form of the reconstruction proposal. They believe that the current project will not allow for similar large events to take place in the future.
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