The story of the construction of a new settlement on Velje brdo, the size of the city of Bar with 41 inhabitants, is not realistic because it contradicts the current laws, planning solutions, technical possibilities of the communal infrastructure in Podgorica, and the price of apartments through the proposed installment amounts is not mathematically correct, confirmed is a number of "Vijesti" interlocutors in the field of ecology, spatial planning and construction.
Prime Minister Milojko Spajic, at the press conference on Saturday, called the project a Montenegrin dream, as well as that the first residents will be possible in the middle of 2026. He also said that by the end of the year, a website will be created where citizens will be able to apply for this project.
"For apartments with three bedrooms, that is, 100 square meters, we will have a monthly installment that will amount to 390 euros for 30 years of repayment. This repayment plan will be offered with no down payment. For an apartment of 60 square meters, we will have a repayment which will be a monthly installment of 290 euros. A square meter will cost one thousand euros, and the derived interest is 1,2 percent per year," specified Spajić eight days before the Podgorica elections.
Minister of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property Slaven Radunović he said that the implementation of this plan will require changes to the spatial plan, which is why he will return it to a 15-day public hearing, and that the entire project could be ready by the end of the year. He said that the land is municipal or state, that the state will finance the construction with the support of the future state Development Bank.
Spajić and Radunović said that this project has nothing to do with local elections, and that they came up with the idea two months ago.
Protected area, math wrong
However, part of Velje brdo is covered by the protection zone of the Zeta River Nature Park, and residential construction is not possible on that part, and for construction on the remaining part, detailed studies would be necessary to ensure that the new settlement does not affect the Zeta and the source of the Mareza, which would require serious scientific research.
If the installment for a 60-square-meter apartment were 290 euros for 30 years, with an interest rate of 1,2 percent, the basic price of the apartment would be around 1.700 euros per square meter, not 100 as was presented at the Government conference on Saturday. For an apartment of 390 square meters, with the promise of an installment of 1.400 euros, the final price is around XNUMX euros.
The infrastructure would cost 340 million
As Velje brdo was never planned for construction before, that area and its surroundings do not have built infrastructure that could accommodate a new settlement of 41 thousand inhabitants. The construction of infrastructure for 2,66 million square meters of gross construction area of residential and commercial buildings, as presented in the project, according to the prices of communal equipment from Monstat research, would cost 340 million euros.
Changes to the spatial plans of the PUP Podgorica and PP Rijeka Zeta, the preparation of all necessary analyzes and studies, until the preparation of a detailed urban plan and the final project, would take at least three years if the analyzes show that construction is possible. The construction of communal infrastructure, if technical solutions were to be found, would take at least five years. So that moving in would be possible at the earliest in 2032 and not in two years as announced.
The price of an apartment of one thousand euros per square meter would not be the lowest possible in Podgorica, as it was reported, because union solidarity funds sell apartments to their members at a construction price of 600 euros per square meter last year, and that in locations in the city such as the Old Airport.
These are some of the main objections of "Vijesti" interlocutors from the fields of ecology, spatial planning and construction to the Government's plan, which was presented on Saturday, eight days before the Podgorica elections, to build a new large settlement with 14 apartments on Velje brdo near Podgorica. tenants and socially vulnerable families.
Violation of the Nature Park is also a criminal offence
Velje brdo is divided in half by Podgorica and Danilovgrad municipalities. The part that belongs to Danilovgrad is completely covered by the Rijeka Zeta Nature Park, with very strict conditions for the construction of possible individual buildings with traditional materials (wood and stone) on private land and adherence to strict ecological norms.
About a third of the Podgorica part of Velje brdo is covered by the same Nature Park. The current Spatial-Urban Plan of Podgorica on Velje brdo envisages green areas - a forest and a large solar power plant on 690 thousand square meters with a capacity of 300 MW. This solar power plant is included in the Government's concession plans, and in September of last year, the state-owned EPCG and the American company UGT Renewables signed a memorandum of cooperation, where it was presented as the first future joint project.
When you look at the maps of the Nature Park on Velje Brdo and the plan of the new settlement, which was presented by the Government on Saturday, it is clear that they overlap, that is, that part of the construction zone is located on the territory of the Nature Park, which is not legally possible and is criminally punishable.
"Anyone who violates the regulations by using natural resources, building buildings, carrying out any kind of work or otherwise causes damage to the environment to a greater extent or over a wider area, will be punished with imprisonment for up to three years," the Criminal Code reads.
Violation of domestic and international regulations
The regulations on protected areas also state that for the construction of buildings next to protection zones, it is necessary to carry out additional analyzes as to whether such construction would have an impact on nature, that is, in this case, the Zeta River and the source of the Mareza.
"In the area along the river Sitnica, Velje brdo and the source of Mareza, as well as the part that belongs to the territory of the municipality of Danilovgrad, hydrological phenomena stand out, which, together with the vegetation complex and viewpoints, represent a special form of nature protection marked as an area of special natural values. Mareza, as the source of Podgorica, needs to be protected and arranged as a recreation area, without harming the natural and landscape qualities. For this area, the creation of a spatial plan of the special purpose area is planned, which, in addition to Podgorica, would also include part of the Danilovgrad municipality", it was stated in the PUP of Podgorica from 2014, which is still in force and after which a special purpose plan was drawn up, which specifically refers to the Rijeka Zeta Nature Park.
An interlocutor of "Vijesti" who participated in the preparation of plans for the Rijeka Zeta Nature Park, which also includes the protection zone of the Mareza source, said that the waters from Velje brdo belong to the basin of either Mareza or Zeta, and that it is clear that the construction of a settlement of this size with 14 thousand apartments, business centers, schools and other facilities had a significant impact on both protected ecosystems.
"Amendment of the plan, which would allow construction, would be a violation of domestic regulations, international standards and EU directives", stated the interlocutor of "Vijesti".
If the environmental and spatial-planning problems in the implementation of this project were to be solved somehow, before the construction of the first residential buildings, it would be necessary to provide communal infrastructure - water and sewerage networks, as well as provide electricity supply.
The source of Marez would not be enough
A "Vijesti" interlocutor, familiar with the state of the municipal infrastructure in the capital, said that such a large settlement would increase water consumption in Podgorica by about 20 percent, that is, the capacity of the Mareza spring would be insufficient, but also that transferring water to the top of Velje brdo would be extremely difficult. expensive and uneconomical.
"The source is located 30 meters above sea level, and the top of Velje brdo, where a huge reservoir should be built for the needs of this settlement, is at 280 meters. In order to overcome such an altitude, it would be necessary to build at least three overflowing plants with tanks, which would be an investment of at least 40-50 million euros. Using that system would later be extremely expensive due to the high consumption of electricity and the repayment of that investment," said this interlocutor.
Sewerage is a special problem
He states that the construction of atmospheric and fecal sewage would be a special problem, because there are no connections anywhere near Velje brdo that could accept waste water from a settlement of this size.
"Connecting a settlement of this size to the sewage system would exceed its current capacity by about 30 percent, that is, the existing purification device would not be able to accept and purify its wastewater. According to the data presented, this settlement would produce approximately the same amount of waste water as Block five and part of the city via Morača, that is, it could not be connected to the existing network that goes from Block five and part of Tološ to the purification device. Theoretically, there could be two solutions, both technically challenging, the construction of which would take two to three years and cost tens of millions of euros. The first would be to build a special device for purifying waste water from fecal sewage on the banks of the Zeta, which would be only for this settlement, but the question is whether this would be possible because of the Nature Park. The second is to build a completely new large sewerage line from Velje brdo somewhere through Tološki polje and Lješkopolje, which would lead the sewage from this settlement directly to the new wastewater treatment plant near Botun, which has yet to be built," he said. "Vijesti" interlocutor.
He says that the construction of storm sewers would be a big challenge, and that part of the water would probably have to be piped to Zeta, and part to the city network at the nearest connection at Block Five.
"This settlement would be a very large catchment area and it would be a matter of large stormwater, which the current capacities of the city's atmospheric sewage system would not be able to accept, so part, if not most, would have to be directed towards Zeta, if it were legally possible." said the interlocutor of "Vijesti".
Electricity consumption in Podgorica would increase by 20 percent
Another interlocutor of "Vijesti" from the field of energy stated that this settlement, with all the planned facilities, would increase the consumption of electricity in Podgorica by about 20 percent.
"A settlement of this size would have to have a double power supply from 400/110 kV substations. The existing such substation in Tološe is already significantly overloaded, it would have to be built completely new with associated high-voltage transmission lines and substations of lower voltage levels. There is no such thing in the current plans for the development of the energy network, so they would have to be built first, and then the construction of those facilities and the network would begin. All that would cost tens of millions of euros," he said.
Saveljić: They will promise you a lot, take that little basket with you
Biologist and environmental activist Darko Saveljic yesterday he wrote on Facebook "when you have a state government that has no vision, awareness, conscience, that swims supremely in ignorance, disrespecting the laws of its own country, that works 'ad koh' and pre-election, things are like this with Velji brdo".
"Part of Velje brdo is a protected area of the Zeta River Valley Nature Park. It is located above the Mareza spring, which supplies the capital. In the remotest villages of Montenegro, the peasants objected to building above the spring, because of the impact on the spring itself. The Government of Montenegro does not care that this area was preserved for decades precisely because of Mareza. The same Government of Montenegro, bearing in mind the great potential for solar energy and the 'created spatial planning preconditions', is planning a tender for the lease of state-owned land on Velje Brdo for the construction of a solar power plant with an installed capacity of at least 50 MW. If anyone thinks that a protected area, a new town and a solar power plant can be built on Velje brdo, and that this is all in accordance with common sense, laws, EU directives and Mareza, then I'm sorry. They will promise you a lot, take that little basket with you, is an old folk saying".
Vuković: The Prime Minister is a bad mathematician or someone is planning a robbery of 200 million
Economic analyst Miloš Vuković yesterday on Facebook, he pointed out that Prime Minister Spajić's calculation of the price of future apartments and the amount of installments for repayment is mathematically incorrect, titling the post with "Great ignorance and/or great robbery on Velje brdo".
He stated that the figures with prices of 1.000 euros per square meter with a repayment term of 360 months, 1,2% interest and monthly installments of 390 euros for a 100-square-meter apartment and 290 euros for a 60-square-meter apartment were put "hastily" , or there is robbery behind them, because the amount to be paid in installments is 200 million more than the value of the apartments for 1.000 euros.
"For a 100m2 apartment, you pay 390 euros per month, which gives a total of 140.400 for 30 years or 1.404 euros per square meter. For a 60m2 apartment, you pay 290 euros per month, which gives a total of 104.400 euros in 30 years or 1.740 euros per square meter. In translation: an apartment does not cost 1.000 euros per m2, but costs 1.404 euros per m2 for an apartment of 100 square meters or 1.740 euros per m2 for an apartment of 60 square meters. We repeat: after 30 years, for a smaller apartment of 60 m2, you will pay about 335 euros more per square meter than for an apartment of 100 m2. Madness," wrote Vuković.
He says that the calculation becomes even more interesting when the announced interest rate of 1,2 percent is included.
"Pay attention to what the geniuses did: after 30 years, you will pay 60 euros in interest for a 2m44.400 apartment, and 100 euros in interest for a 2m40.400 apartment. You saw it right: the characters came up with a way to pay less interest for a larger apartment of 100 m2 than for a smaller apartment of 60 m2, even though in both cases - the interest rate is the same?!" Vuković wrote.
He also explains what the calculation is like when the numbers are entered into the loan calculator.
"When you enter the principal amount of 100.000 euros, the repayment period of 360 months and the interest rate of 1,2% into any loan calculator, you get that the monthly installment is around 330 and not 390 euros, as they presented to us. The difference is the entire 60 euros per month that are being robbed from the citizens. The situation is even worse when you enter the amount for an apartment of 60 square meters (60.000 euros), a repayment term of 360 months and an interest rate of 1,2%. In that case, the monthly installment amounts to 199 euros or 90 euros less than the proposed 290 euros," said Vuković.
He also says that someone can say that it is not a big difference, but that 60 euros for 360 months amounts to 21.600 euros in 30 years.
"Now finely multiply 21.600 euros by 10.000 apartments that will be built: you get the figure that someone in this project will be "more" good 216 million euros in 30 years, 7,2 million euros per year or 19.726 euros per day. What to say at the end of the saga? These people simply continue to mislead citizens or prepare one of the biggest robberies that Montenegro has ever seen," said Vuković.
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