Collaboration with local community

When Matra project appeared in spring 2004 Municipality officials recognize the potentials of a project: visualization and delineation of site’s development potentials in order to initiate and support discussions on possible solutions for the factory’s site reconstruction, as a negotiation tool which addresses different stakeholders ranging form the state to private investors.

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One of the main obstacles in selling the site is the fact that of the peninsula that accommodate a factory only one third is unambiguous in terms of ownership (belongs to the creditors and could rather easily be sold). The rest of the land belongs to the state. Municipality pleads to get that piece of the land form the state, and this transfer of the property rights is achievable according to official procedures. However, The State Office for the State Property (Matra project has its representative in a Steering Committee) is explaining that only with a plan that describes what would be a development on a site they are willing to shift the property into the hands of municipality.

From a very beginning of a project municipality representatives were really cooperative and supportive for a Matra project (a project started with a mayor from Social Democratic Party, in May 2005 after the elections Croatian Democratic Party had its representative at the head of the municipality).

Nevertheless, in a moment when real investor appeared and bought a part of the factory (English investment fund Landmark) a participation in Matra project processes undertook a different course – investor never appeared at any of the public events that included local community in a discussion of possible development patterns of the factory site. Consequently, there was a change in the local authorities’ support to negotiate and delineate municipality’s programs and development visions based on Urbotanoscape concept that would be presented, discussed and modified according to input from all the parties involved.

At the same time, Mladen Banovic, web editor of the local web site as representative of the citizens of Dugi rat extremely appreciated Matra project initiative which he saw as an opportunity to put all the sides around the table that would together reach the best possible solution for the citizens of Dugi rat.

http://www.dugirat.com/content/view/4145/36/