The representatives of the municipalities will decide on the future of the closed lookout tower on Velký Kosíř

Slatinky - The future of the lookout tower on the Velký Kosíř hill near Slatinky in the Prostějov region, which has been closed since October 2023 for safety reasons, will be decided at the end of May by representatives of nine surrounding municipalities during a joint meeting. Possible considerations include the reconstruction of the lookout tower, its demolition and the construction of a new viewpoint, or demolition and the establishment of another element. This was reported to ČTK today by the chairman of the Mikroregion Kosířsko, Dalibor Kolář.

The lookout tower on Velký Kosíř opened in the summer of 2013. The construction then cost 6.5 million crowns, with three million contributed by the Olomouc region for the project and additional funds from donors and surrounding municipalities. Representatives of the Kosířsko micro-region discovered the first deficiencies related to the slope of the terraces shortly after the festive opening of the lookout tower. Subsequently, flaws in the staircase construction were also found, which could not be claimed. Due to these deficiencies, a decision was made in the autumn of 2023 to close the tower for safety reasons.

According to estimates, repairing the lookout tower would require a one-time investment of 1.5 million crowns and an additional 300,000 crowns annually for regular maintenance. Another option proposed by Kolář is the demolition of the structure and the construction of a new lookout tower using the original documentation or architectural design, which would cost 17 million crowns, and additional funds would be necessary for maintenance. However, financing for this option is not secured.

In late May, representatives of the nine surrounding municipalities will also consider the possibility of demolishing the lookout tower and constructing a new element, utilizing material dismantled from the lookout tower's structure in the construction on Velký Kosíř. This solution is expected to cost a maximum of five million crowns, while regular maintenance will require additional funds.

The lookout tower, which offers views of the flatlands of Haná, the Drahanská Highlands, the Bouzov Hills, and the silhouette of the Nízký Jeseník, features a stone base with facilities and a wooden tube with steel elements. The upper platform is at a height of 25 meters. There was already a lookout tower on Velký Kosíř from 1927 to 1939, which had to be removed due to poor technical conditions.

Velký Kosíř (441 m above sea level) is the dominant feature of the Haná plain, located between the towns of Kostelec na Hané, Čechy pod Kosířem, and Slatinice. It is surrounded by many myths. In 1990, the Velký Kosíř Nature Park was established.