New Hub of Violations in 'Fizgorodok': Private Homes Built Where Fruit Trees Once Stood

Residents of the area known as 'Fizgorodok' informed 168.am that land works appear to be suspended, yet workers arrive daily to lay concrete foundations and more.

Currently, there is a new hub of violations in 'Fizgorodok.' A short distance from several buildings, high-rise construction is taking place where residents once tended their fruit trees, in the courtyard of a high-rise building.

It turns out that in March of this year, the mayor authorized the construction of a two-story private house in the green area of the courtyards at Halabyan 22a/22b. This area had been under the care of the residents for 30 years, housing an orchard from which the residents benefited.

Two years ago, when encroachments on the orchards began, the residents raised their voices about the issue. At that time, no permits were in place. Residents of the two high-rise buildings conducted a petition, unanimously asserting their opposition to any development in the courtyard of the building, proposing instead to cultivate the green area and transform it into a garden. However, once again, the voices of the citizens were ignored.

The response from the Yerevan municipality regarding the issue will be presented later. It should be added that the chain of illegal construction processes in 'Fizgorodok' began in 2004, when the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction of the Ajapnyak and Davtashen administrative districts recognized Tigran Aghajanyan's property rights over a 50.8 square meter basement and a 1976.1 square meter land plot in the 'Fizgorodok' area.

In 2006, the same area was re-registered in the names of Andranik Balasanyan and 'Ratko' LLC, which are currently carrying out the construction. Spokesperson for Mayor Hayk Marutyan, Hakob Karapetyan, previously wrote on his Facebook page that the land was privatized in 2004 and that the Yerevan municipality lacks the legal ability and authority to annul the privatization decision. Building permits for a 12-story building were issued in 2007 and 2012. In 2019, the municipality refused to extend the previous permit and required the developer to undergo all assessments again.

In February 2021, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport announced that it recognized the 'Fizgorodok' area as a newly discovered monument, and then in May 2021, removed the plot at Alikhanian 6/1 from that area. In July 2021, the municipality granted a building permit. The municipality is obligated to issue a building permit if the project complies with all norms and the area is not included in the list of monuments.