Planned Tartu residential development sparks concern among locals
A new residential development near a riding school in Vana-Ihaste has locals worried over clashing buildings and area roads not keeping pace with the growing population.
Located along the left bank of the Emajõgi River, the 6.5-hectare site at Raeremmelga 11 could soon be developed with single-family homes, duplexes or rowhomes up to 10 meters tall.
About half the area would be built on, with the rest left as public green space, city architect Jiří Tintera said.
While they cannot exceed 10 meters, many planned two-story buildings will include pitched roofs, allowing for additional space, he explained.
The property was formerly part of a larger equestrian center slated to be improved and expanded, but later sold to a developer aiming to convert it fully to residential use.
Tintera said the current plans are based on "Asum," the winning architectural competition design by Pluss Arhitektid OÜ, though the final layout may change.
He added the zoning plan must also allow the riding school to continue operating.
Even so, residents say the planned buildings don't fit the existing neighborhood.
Lenne Rähn-Kuusik of the Ihaste Residents' Association noted the city has justified the new project as urban densification.
"But it doesn't really densify anything if a single family moves into a three- or four-story townhouse the same way they would a one-story townhouse," she said.
Old roads not meant for so much traffic
Vana-Ihaste also lacks the infrastructure necessary to support a growing local population, Rähn-Kuusik continued, noting that even neighborhood roads were never built to withstand so much traffic.
"Traffic is already heavy and conditions dangerous," she said. Given the proximity of the riding school on top of that, "this zoning plan has to be very carefully thought out."
Tintera emphasized that the area's master plan remains in force, adding that the development's zoning plan will have to be drawn up accordingly.
"[Raeremmelga tänav] will need to be redesigned to make it safe for everyone, including horses moving between parts of the equestrian center," he said, adding that specific solutions for these plans are yet to come.
--
Editor: Mait Ots, Aili Vahtla
