The majority of work in the area has been completed for almost a month and residents have already embraced the new space.

People walk along the paths and relax on benches. At the same time, the playgrounds and sports areas are fenced off, the restrooms are closed, and trash bins are unavailable. The reason is simple — the area does not yet have an occupancy permit.

"People's frustration is completely understandable because it seems like the site has been finished for weeks already, so why all the fences? But that's the current situation. The goal is still a safe park for everyone, so that nothing happens on those playgrounds," said Põhja Tallinn District Elder Külli Tammur (Eesti 200).

Photographs circulating on social media show torn-down fences and overflowing trash bins.

Tammur acknowledges the problem but says that until the permit is granted, the upkeep should be the responsibility of the builder, Tallinna Teede AS.

The company's director said that maintenance checks are carried out periodically.

"This is a very unfortunate situation. No specific routine has been agreed upon, and since the builder is no longer on site daily — construction work has been completed — it probably just needs to be monitored more closely," said Marek Rand, construction manager at Tallinna Teede AS.

Tammur said: "We still need to negotiate with the builder that they must perform daily maintenance here, just as they do for all other trash bins in the district. This kind of post-incident cleanup and collecting larger debris once a week is not a solution."

Former North Tallinn District Elder Manuela Pihlap (Center) does not agree with shifting the blame. Ultimately, it is the city that bears responsibility for safety, she said.

During her time in office, the city hired a security team for parks awaiting occupancy permits.

"It's always easier to say someone else is responsible, and on paper that is technically true — the builder is responsible until the site is handed over. But the question is what we want for the district. Do we want a place that's already being vandalized, or is the goal to keep order from the start? If we take the example of Vana-Kalamaja tänav, the district worked together with municipal police, the police, mobile youth workers, and also child protection services to implement early coordinated measures to prevent gatherings of young people or alcohol-consuming individuals," said Pihlap.

The Polinator Highway is expected to receive its occupancy permit by the end of summer.

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