Bnei Brak Approves Historic Zoning Plan for Public Buildings
Bnei Brak has enacted a groundbreaking urban planning policy that will allow thousands of synagogues, yeshivas, and public institutions to expand their facilities. The new zoning plan, championed by Deputy Mayor Menachem Shapira, head of the planning and building committee, eliminates the need for lengthy and complex individual permit processes for these "brownfield" sites.
Previously, institutions seeking to expand faced bureaucratic hurdles that could take 1.5 to 3 years, significantly hindering their development. Strict building line regulations also limited usable space. The new plan, effective for about three weeks, provides automatic development rights for all public lots in the city, streamlining the process and saving communities hundreds of thousands of shekels in architectural and planning fees.
A key provision is the introduction of a "zero building line" for structures adjacent to roads, green spaces, or other public areas, allowing construction right up to the property boundary. For lots bordering residential areas, the building line is reduced to 3.5 meters. This change maximizes land use and can retroactively legalize existing building code violations.
The plan also significantly increases vertical development rights, permitting public institutions to build between 8 and 12 stories, depending on the specific city zone. This creates thousands of square meters of new construction space without requiring special permission for additional rights.
Mayor Chanoch Zeibert praised the plan, stating it removes historical bureaucratic barriers and enables the rapid expansion of religious and public institutions. This initiative follows another significant move last year where Shapira and Zeibert facilitated a land exchange that saved approximately 100 synagogues from potential demolition and hefty fines due to construction on green spaces.
With the new zoning in place, institutions can now use a simplified "licensing authority" procedure, expected to take only 45 to 60 days, providing a fast and legal solution for the city's growing needs.
