Warsaw. Consultations on the creation of a cultural park. Entrepreneurs defend ATMs and ask about gardens

The capital city hall reminded in the communiqué that consultations on the draft resolution on the cultural park of the Historic Center of Warsaw lasted from May 29 to June 24, 2023. They had various forms. “On June 12, we organized an online meeting. Its rebroadcast was watched by over 150 people on YouTube. We analyzed individual provisions by phone and e-mail. During stationary duty hours, we met directly with people interested in the subject. We also visited entrepreneurs at their headquarters” – officials enumerate.

After consultations, a report was produced. The officials pointed out that the consultations aroused particularly great interest among entrepreneurs operating in the area of ​​the Historic Center of Warsaw. Much attention was paid during the consultations to the issues of definitions and terms contained in the draft resolution. It was postulated, among others, fine-tuning the definition of advertising media, easing the regulations concerning murals advertising by allowing them in passages and gate passages, changes in the provisions regarding the size of signs and colors of advertisements.

The report after the consultation shows that a lot of discussion was devoted to free-standing ATMs. “In the opinion of some people, the resolution cannot prohibit the placement of free-standing ATMs in the park, as this would violate the constitutional right to freedom of economic activity. It was also pointed out that such a ban does not apply to ticket machines or parking meters, i.e. facilities with a similar function and form” – explained in the report.

In turn, restaurateurs asked about the rules regarding the appearance of gastronomic gardens and acceptable forms of their roofing.

Participants in the consultations also wondered how the resolution on the cultural park would affect the implementation of investments that have already obtained a decision on development conditions, reads the report.

Read also: The conservator supported the cultural park in Warsaw. But he is asking for local plans

Officials ensure that many of the comments have been taken into account. “We asked the offices and municipal units, which co-created the draft resolution with the capital’s conservator of monuments, for their approval” – explains the town hall.

The draft resolution on the creation of the Cultural Park of the Historic Center of Warsaw will soon be submitted to the session of the Warsaw Council. After the resolution is approved and published in the Official Gazette of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, a 12-month transitional period will begin, the so-called vacatio legis.

During this time, city officials will carry out an “inventory of the existing state”. There will also be training for city guards, on whom effective control of compliance with the provisions of the resolution will depend. Land managers will also undergo training.

“We plan to prepare a good practice guide, which will be a guide to the provisions of the resolution and an inspiration for changes for property managers and entrepreneurs. Throughout the adjustment period, we will provide them with information and advice – by e-mail, telephone and in person” – the officials point out.

As Renata Kaznowska, the deputy mayor of Warsaw, announced at the end of March, cultural park is “a tool that will prevent spatial chaos, illegal advertisements and shoddy street stands”. The historic center of Warsaw is to include the Old and New Towns, the Royal Route, the area from the Krasiński Gardens to the Saski Gardens and the parks located below the Escarpment, including Łazienki Park.

The cultural park organizes matters related to the aesthetics of the façade, the protection of original architectural details and historic woodwork. It also regulates the rules for placing technical devices. He devotes a lot of attention to the protection of trees and urban green areas.