Letňany lentils are the largest project since 1990, which the city has been implementing. The previous one was the transformation of the Old Village. It is a pity that during the preparation of Lentilek, probably no one realized that it would be good to build on the experience gained during the construction on Stará Návsa. The project was entrusted on behalf of the district to one person who moves around it from the preparation of the project until its complete completion. At least that was not reasonable.
Probably no one denies that the Avia II housing estate has been practically green without its establishment since 1986-87. Lawns on such a large area were not enough. The appearance of the housing estate was not saved even by the wild planting in front of the individual houses, which was carried out by their inhabitants.
The Lentilek project extends over a large area. It is a pity that such a phasing of works was not performed, which would shorten the time when the housing estate is excavated. The opinion that the inhabitants of the housing estate must adapt to the building cannot be accepted. On the contrary – the construction does not take place on a green field, so it should respect the people who live and move here. An example of an unnecessarily long construction period is the lentil playground, which began construction in April and was to be completed in May. Subsequently, the deadlines were shifted, so they are before completion until now.
You can also argue about the effectiveness of the so-called lentils. The project was designed by young architects and chose elements that have not yet been tested. Only time will tell whether they are practical or whether it would be better to continue with the elements used in the Chlebovická or Stará Náves complex.
Unfortunately, it is a well-known fact that the contractor Lentilek, the company SKANSKA, behaves in the Letňany area as if it belonged to it. The equipment used is also parked on streets that are not part of the construction, and the passage through the streets is blocked because there is composite material for the construction. This should be avoided when preparing the next stages.
There were also concerns about financing the project, which is funded by both European funds and municipal resources. These are out of place, because I am personally convinced that the City of Prague pays maximum attention to the economical use of funds.
Oldrich Miffek (CSSD)
deputy mayor
Source: Letňanské listy, October 2014