Prefer the color over nature?
At the end of six years of struggle between the councils, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked decided that 900 dunams would be transferred from the Megiddo Regional Council to the city of Yokneam.
The area is to be used for the construction of 2,500 housing units, as part of the expansion plan of the city of Yokneam.
These are 550 dunams located between Moshav Elyakim and Mevo Carmel Park and an additional 370 dunams are forest areas that are adjacent to the green neighborhood of Sha'ar HaGai.
According to the Yokneam Municipality, the vast majority of them will remain green - since construction will only take place on about 60 dunams.
The Yokneam municipality stated that Minister Shaked's decision is very important since Yokneam has run out of almost all land reserves for construction, and "the city has nowhere else to develop."
The decision, the municipality says, will ensure the city's future for the next twenty years. [
The municipality also stated that it will be a partner in the planning in order to preserve the character of the area and incorporate construction that will suit both the character of Yokneam and the character of Elyakim and Ein HaEmek.
The plan of the neighborhood will be such that it will form a continuum of the new neighborhood with the green neighborhood of Sha'ar HaGai.
Six years of struggle
The Yokneam municipality has sought the number one alternative all the way, ie the area between Mevo Carmel Park and Elyakim.
In Megiddo they constantly opposed the transfer of this area and on their own initiative offered alternative number two which is adjacent to the Peace Valley, and this was indeed approved to the municipality by the Geographical Committee as a compromise agreement, although the municipality never requested it.
Yokneam Mayor Simon Alfasi: "I congratulate the Minister of the Interior, Ayelet Shaked, for her decision and thank her for accepting my recommendation not to approve alternative number 2 and not to build in the Peace Valley and to leave it green and avoid harming nature and agriculture. I am very happy after six years of struggles. "We were able to bring the good news to the future generations of the city, who can live in a city that they grew up and love so much. Just as the settlements of Megiddo are allowed to expand and they expand significantly, so is Yokneam."
He added: "Yokneam is a very attractive city, thanks in part to two high-tech centers and a low-tech center, a groundbreaking education system, a leading green city, a young city with a high quality of life and more, and the demand accordingly. You will only strengthen them, add to their well-being, and not harm their quality of life in any way. "
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us