State Loses Land Compensation Dispute for Rishon Le Zion Metro Depot

A compensation commission has rejected the stance of the state-owned NETA company and the Rishon Le Zion planning committee regarding the compensation amount for private land designated for a metro depot. The depot site, approximately 299 dunams west of the Rishonim mall and north of Highway 431, involves claims totaling around 358.5 million shekels for about 186 dunams. The M1 metro line is planned to connect Kfar Saba and Ra'anana in the north to Rehovot, Beer Yaakov, Ramla, and Lod in the south, passing through Tel Aviv, Holon, and Rishon Le Zion.

NETA and the Rishon Le Zion municipality argued for a compensation rate of 80 shekels per square meter, classifying the land as agricultural. However, landowners demanded 2,200 shekels per square meter. The commission ruled that the regional master plan from 2003, which designated the metro land as a metropolitan recreational zone for leisure, sports, and agriculture, must be considered in the valuation.

While the commission acknowledged the recreational zoning, it dismissed the landowners' argument for additional compensation based on potential development from an adjacent plan, as that plan was not yet officially deposited when the metro plan was approved. The final compensation amount and the landowners' right to it remain undecided. The commission has appointed an independent appraiser to determine the land's value before and after the metro plan's approval.