Where to Walk? Residents of Nor Nork Have Been Deprived of the Sidewalk

Throughout almost all times in our city, serious problems related to construction, reconstruction, or the decision to demolish something have arisen. With sober judgment, the question often arises: what principles guide the official who issues a decision at a particular moment?

On November 29, Facebook user Eduard Harutyunyan alerted that the sidewalk on Nver Safaryan Street in the 2nd district of Nor Nork has been closed for construction. He also sent an inquiry to the Nor Nork administrative district, from which he received a rather perplexing response. Specifically, he was informed that the sidewalk on Nver Safaryan Street is privatized and belongs to Avangard Motors.

Auroranews visited the site, and during our filming, a citizen approached us. Our camera captured how people are forced to walk on the roadway, endangering their lives as they bypass the area that has always been a sidewalk.

During the government meeting on November 21, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed strong indignation, stating: “For decades, we have been rebuilding literally destroyed roads and sidewalks. Then you ask, ‘Shall I go see if people are using that road?’ You go, and what do you see? Someone has brought a truckload of sand and dumped it on the sidewalk, another has placed stones on the sidewalk, and a third is pouring concrete on the asphalt. When you ask that person, ‘What are you doing?’ they respond, ‘What do you mean, what am I doing?’ They are pouring concrete over the asphalt, and then half of that concrete residue stays on the road, the sidewalk, and the markings.”

Based on the Prime Minister's emphasis on November 21, we expect an adequate response from the head of the state regarding this issue. Meanwhile, Auroranews has sent an inquiry to the municipality, seeking a clear response about when the sidewalk was privatized, who made this decision, and what documents were based on it. It was also necessary to understand what is being constructed at the expense of the sidewalk. If it has been privatized, why hasn’t any question arisen about how people will move through that section?

In response to Auroranews' written inquiry, the municipality stated: “In the mentioned area, on private land, a construction permit has been granted to ‘Avangard Motors’ for a period of 24 months as per the decision of November 6, 2024, for the purpose of constructing a showroom, parking lot, and office. According to mandatory norms for site arrangement, during the delimitation of the construction site, the developer is obligated to ensure a temporarily separated passage for pedestrian traffic. Once the construction site is finalized and there is no passage in that area, the relevant subdivision of the municipality will be notified in accordance with the law to apply administrative measures. Until the construction site is fully arranged, it is impossible to clearly state whether there will be a need for administrative measures or not.”

Meanwhile, people continue to seek alternate routes to bypass this busy transportation junction, putting their health at risk.