Billionaire wants to spend millions on investment near Olsztynek. What do Warsaw ecologists have to do with it?
Antoni Ptak, for years one of the richest Poles, wants to build a large amusement park near Olsztynek. Local authorities are very much in favor, because such an investment means jobs, an influx of tourists and a lot of money in the commune’s budget. However, ecologists from Warsaw have reservations. The case will go to the Local Government Appeal Board.
Antoni Ptak is associated with a large clothing center near Łódź and a conference center in Nadarzyn, near the capital. In this year’s Wprost Richest list, he took 21st place.
Antoni Ptak wants to build an entertainment center
“Business legend has it that Antoni Ptak, born in 1952, began his career by standing in mud. The clothing merchants with whom Mr. Antoni had a chat were standing in the same mud. That’s when he thought he could build a shopping center where the merchants could trade in better conditions. He bought land on a busy road a dozen or so kilometers south of Łódź” – this is how the story of the businessman begins, which can be read here.
A billionaire who has been living abroad for years has built a year-round (indoor) amusement park Mandoria in Rzgów. Now he wants to build a seasonal facility near Olsztynek (Warmia-Masuria Province). If the plans are implemented, it will be the largest amusement park in Poland. Local authorities are very interested and have given the investor, the Village company from Rzgów, the green light. The park is to be built on an area of 185 ha, of which approx. 100 ha is to be built. The investment will be implemented in stages over several years.
The European pond turtle may stand in the way of investment
The park will be located in the vicinity of a valuable natural area – the Protected Landscape Area of the Napiwodzko-Ramucka Forest. A few kilometres from Łutynówek, in Nadrów, there is the Nadrowskie Bagna reserve for the population of the European pond turtle. And this creates problems.
“Gazeta Olsztyńska” reports that the environmental agreements have been appealed by the Society for the Protection of Nature from Warsaw. Ecologists fear that the large park will pose a threat to the animals living in the area, primarily mud turtles, and have also raised objections to the improper granting of the agreements the status of immediate enforceability, which allowed the investor to apply for a building permit without waiting for the outcome of any potential appeals.
“They also question the fact that they were not recognized as a party in the administrative proceedings. They raise issues related to the protection of species such as turtles. They indicate reservations regarding the decisions of the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection and demand that the environmental impact report be re-drafted at the stage of issuing a restrictive decision, i.e. a building permit,” we read in the daily.
Olsztynek Mayor Robert Waraksa informs that he is preparing a response to the appeal. The Local Government Appeal Board will decide on the further procedure.
