Zindović, however, claims that at the end of last year, he left a million dollar project "The Oberoi Luxury Resort and Spa Skadar Lake", publicly known as "Porto Skadar Lake", where the construction of a hotel is planned in the heart of the National Park with 51 apartments and 30 villas for rent. He did not want to reveal the reason for leaving the project, which he publicly defended from the criticisms of the NGO sector and the people living in Virpazar, but said he still supports the idea of Lionel Sonig to build a tourist complex on the Skadar Lake.
He also denied the information that the project was in trouble, as they could not get an access road for more than three years, which should be approved by the parliament of Cetinje Municipality. An additional problem, according to unofficial information, is for the investors by the disputed environmental studies and pressures of the NGO sector and international community. Sonigo did not respond about what's happening in Biski rep, where, for more than a month, the works have not been executed.
"I'm no longer employed there, but I've remained friends with Sonigo and" Porto Skadar Lake," Zindovic said, whose name is still on the site of "Oberoi Resort" as a representative of this project.
Zindović PHOTO: Screenshot (Tv Vijesti)
UIP confirmed that the former general manager of "Oberoi Resort" is employed as a sports inspector at that institution after passing the test and fulfilling the conditions from the ad for this job vacancy, published last year. The building permit for the "Porto Skadar Lake" (PSL) project was previously received by Sonigo, i.e. his company "Montenegro resort company" (MRC). The permit issued by the Ministry, headed at the time by Branimir Gvozdenovic, was granted to Sonigo after the Government in 2014 and adopted by the State Study of the Location (DSL) "Mihailovići". The Virpazar Citizens Association and HGO Green Home warned earlier that after three years of building the hotel complex, with 51 apartments, 30 villas for rent, a heliport and marina, we have nothing but a devastated NP.
"We remind you that this destroyed part received a consent to the study of environmental impact assessment and here's what the area looks like today," warned the Association.
Sonigo claimed that he had made a maximum ecological project and called on all NGOs who oppose this project to suggest what they should do. He stressed that only natural materials, solar energy, will be used for the construction of the resort, while under each villa there will be tanks as wastewater treatment plants.
In the comments on a new study previously sent by the association to the Government and the Ministry, the luxury wellness spa and congress tourism, with 16,812 square meters of tourist complexes, are not in the spirit of tradition and are collapsing the unique natural environment and the character of the protected area.
"The study argues that there is no significant impact on biodiversity, although no additional biodiversity research has been carried out. Assessing the impact on biodiversity without data is inadmissible since it is an area under international protection, as well as the fact that some of the plant species are on the IUCN Red List as highly endangered and are protected by the law in our country," said the comments.
The greatest danger, they consider, is that the project opens the door to illegal building.
Zindovic is an authorized person for another project at the Lake
Near the "Porto Skadar Lake," there is another "megalomaniac project" - a five-star tourist resort. The Ministry of Sustainable Development, in 2016, issued a building permit for the construction of a tourist settlement on two urban plots to the investor "MJ Property" from Podgorica within the State Study of the"Mihailovići" site. The NGO sector was invited for a review of the impact on the environment in relation to this project.
However, in the public debate on the study of the impact on the environment of this tourist settlement, which was previously held in Cetinje, there were only two citizens from Virpazar. The Association from Virpazar previously requested the suspension of the permit until a new Spatial Plan for Special Purpose for Skadar Lake has been issued.
The owner of the company is French citizen Marek Judah and the CEO is Bojan Zindović. Ivan Zindovic is now an authorized representative.
The area of the hotel resort, as stated in the permit, is 9,103 square meters, of which 3,487 is hotels, while the mooring, restaurant spa & wellness center has 832 square meters above ground and 1,112 squares below ground.
Text by Ivan Cadjenovic, on June 15th, 2018, read more at Vijesti
