Varna Municipal Councilor Stoyan Petkov: Mayor Blagomir Kotsev and Mayor of Primorski District Failed to Take Action Regarding the Alleged Illegal Construction at Baba Alino for Three Years

Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev and the mayor of the city's Primorski district have failed to act for three years in relation to alleged illegal construction at the Baba Alino site, according to Stoyan Petkov, a municipal councillor from GERB Varna and former chief architect of the city.

Speaking on the morning programme Denyat Zapochva ("The Day Begins") on June 4, Petkov said the first evidence of activity on the site dates back to late 2023.

Referring to the ongoing controversy surrounding the Baba Alino development, where buyers have alleged irregularities and a lack of proper permits, Petkov said:

"The facts show that the first recorded tree-cutting activities date back to October 2023. It is evident from all available information that construction began after October 2023 or in early 2024, as can also be seen from the aerial orthophotographs."

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Petkov said a recent press conference had revealed concerns about a second development linked to the same investor.

"Yesterday we held another press conference to show that, close to what we have called 'Baba Alino 1' — effectively 'Baba Alino 2' — just 200 metres away in a straight line from the current illegal structures, there is another project by the same investor. As we showed, approved construction documents were issued there in April 2025. What is even more interesting is that before construction began, this area was also forested, containing hundreds or even thousands of trees, as can be seen from the orthophotographs taken in March 2024."

Petkov then outlined what he described as the chronology of events surrounding the Baba Alino developments.

"There is no order authorising the removal of mature trees. As we explained during the press conference, the fact that the project approval and the building permit were issued on the same day is itself an indication of this. The orthophotograph from March 2024 clearly shows mature tree vegetation, while the next image, from March 2025, shows that the site had been completely cleared. A month later, on 23 April 2025, the investment project was approved and the building permit was issued."

According to Petkov, there are two separate issues that require investigation.

"On the one hand, there is the alleged violation involving the felling of trees without an official removal order. On the other hand, in the absence of such an order, there is no compensatory programme requiring the planting of an equivalent number of replacement trees."

Petkov said that for the past two years questions raised by municipal councillors regarding the development had either gone unanswered by Mayor Kotsev or had received what he described as vague written responses.

"Since 2024, we have been asking various questions, and Mayor Kotsev has not provided any meaningful response."

Stoyan Petkov served as Acting Chief Architect of Varna Municipality from 19 June 2023 until 13 November 2023 — a period of almost six months.

He argued that the timeline of events contradicts suggestions that responsibility lies with the previous municipal administration.

"The facts are as follows: the first reports date back to October 2023. The first official finding that tree removal had begun was recorded on 26–27 October 2023 in an inspection report by the Regional Forestry Directorate."

Petkov also criticised what he described as attempts by Mayor Kotsev to shift responsibility onto the former city administration.

"Mayor Kotsev has once again tried to imply that the previous leadership of Varna Municipality is somehow to blame. His argument appears to be that properties were being advertised online. However, as everyone in the construction sector knows, properties of this kind are routinely marketed using visualisations and sold off-plan long before projects receive final approval or construction permits are issued."