Kyiv authorities, Teremky residents agree on 2-week moratorium on tree felling for heating pipeline – media

Residents of Kyiv's Teremky residential area and city authorities have reached an agreement to halt tree felling for two weeks to determine if an alternative route can be found to lay a backup heating network without damaging trees, according to Suspilne. The city has not yet confirmed the feasibility of this alternative route. The meeting, attended by around a hundred residents and activists along with officials from the Kyiv City State Administration and Holosiivsky District State Administration, highlighted demand for transparency about the design and permit documents, as well as the rationale behind choosing the green zone for the heating network.

Despite their support for constructing the network, residents emphasized their commitment to preserving the trees. The city's Deputy Head, Petro Panteleyev, explained the necessity of the backup heating network, citing potential accidents in the heat supply system and the infeasibility of laying pipes along Teremkivska Street due to existing underground utilities.

An engineer from the community presented an alternative route during the meeting, which will be reviewed by specialists over the next two weeks. The conflict in Teremky stems from plans to remove 662 trees, including dozens of mature oaks and ash trees, to make way for the backup heating network, which will impact 183 residential buildings, three medical institutions, and 18 schools and kindergartens.

Construction involves cutting down trees in a protective shelterbelt that was preserved during the area's original development, and has already resulted in the destruction of several mature trees. Kyivteploenergo, municipal enterprise, funded the project documentation for laying the heating network along an alternative route, client of the project, between 2020 and 2025.