With the recent upheaval in the government of my adopted country, coupled with all the craziness that is the Trump administration in my home country, it would be nice to settle in my little village and enjoy some peace and quiet. But no, turmoil has followed me here.
Osturňa is under siege.
Recent newspaper articles have appeared about a proposed project to develop Osturňa into a fantastic tourist destination to support 3,000 visitors per day, replete with hotels, cottages, underground parking, shopping malls, and sports complex. The proposal, first introduced in 2017, would surely be a cultural Chernobyl for the village and our way of life.
The group sponsoring the project, Goralská Dedina Osturňa, and who officially owns a 70 percent stake, is the Bratislava-based Zväz priemyselných podnikateľov Slovenska, a type of Slovak association (“občianske združenie“) whose membership is legally hidden from view. The remaining 30 percent of the shares belong to individuals residing in or near Osturňa, three of whom are on the five-member municipal council (Priaznivec Obce Osturňa).
At a recent raucous meeting, the three council members with a financial stake in the original project now claim that the original project is no longer on the table. Instead, they propose a scaled-back project named Turistické Centrum Obce Osturňa, which would include a hotel, enclosed thermal pools, a krčma, and a group of 15 self-catering cottages. Their relationship to the Bratislava group remains an uneasy question in the minds of the villagers.
In spite of a petition signed by half of the entire village population to stop the project, the municipal council nonetheless chose to ignore it and to move ahead on the project.
A 3-to-2 vote permitted the rezoning of privately-held land from agricultural to commercial use. This was done even without first consulting the landowners.
Ján Kaňuk, one of the members of the municipal council with financial stakes in the project, stated this new proposal was only a “štúdia”, a study. But as I pointed out, it was neither a plan nor study, only a map showing where buildings would be constructed, along with a few accompanying words. I had many questions:
- Where are the test results on the thermal waters they claim lie below ground?
- Where is the environmental impact study?
- What about traffic mitigation plans?
- Where is the marketing strategy and competitive analysis?
- Where are the financials to estimate construction costs and potential revenue?
- How many jobs would this create, what types of jobs, and for what kind of salaries?
- What is the planned source of financing?
These questions remain unanswered. The village remains skeptical. And angry.
For reasons I do not understand, according to Slovak legislation, conflict of interest does not apply on the village level. It should. Three of the five-member municipal council have financial interests and questionable relations with an unknown group of people in Bratislava. They are voting in support of their own interests, and ignoring the concerns and objections of the village citizenry. I feel they should either recuse themselves from any votes concerning this project or step down from the council. But there is no requirement that they do so.
I don’t believe these council members are acting out of malice. I know that Ján Kaňuk is sincerely concerned about jobs and the sustainability of the village. However, I feel they are naïve and being duped by a nebulous group of possibly nefarious individuals from the capital. I need some concrete answers – and proof.
How this will play out remains a big question. I assume that there will be another petition to put the project to a referendum. But there are no guarantees.
I am not shocked, but deeply disappointed. Slovak law is weak at best, and clearly fails to promote transparency at all levels. Council members act with impunity, in spite of protests. The situation gives me agita.
We are a poor and tiny village, but a beautiful one surrounded by fantastic nature. Why a group of people would try to loot an entire village of its charm and beauty is simply mindboggling.