One such owner, seeking a quiet, undisturbed lake view, fenced off their lot and put up signs. A nearby resident alerted the Environmental Board, which determined that the structures stood within the lakeshore's building exclusion zone.

Until 2022, the plot had been classified as forest land. The soil has since been stripped or filled in, in violation of both the site's detailed and master plans.

"We found a concrete-paved road and a couple of other structures," said Kristi Lehtorg, deputy chief of supervision for Harju and Rapla counties at the Environmental Board. "These had been built in a building exclusion zone, which is prohibited under the Nature Conservation Act."

The owner was fined €500 and must now apply to the city district to reduce the exclusion zone. The agency said amending the area's master plan this way is the only way to legalize the current situation.

"The district and the Environmental Board are on the same page here," said Rain Veetõusme, deputy district elder of Haabersti.

"For us, it's important that the Lake Harku shorefront remains open to the public as well as to nature and wildlife," he explained. "Based on what we know, we currently see no reason to amend the detailed plan."

The master plan for the area envisions the lakeshore as a site for beach facilities, playgrounds or a Midsummer bonfire site, since the land is designated for public use and is part of the district's green network.

"We can't say that demolition is absolutely necessary, but we also can't claim these structures should be legalized or allowed here," Veetõusme said.

"In this case, the construction and landscaping were rushed, resulting in work that shouldn't have been done under the current plan," he added.

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