The Kythira and Antikythira Local Property Commission issued a statement regarding the old Customs House building in Agia Pelagia, describing the steps that have been taken to investigate its ownership, the filing of a declaratory action, and the next steps for its development. The relevant announcement follows:
PRESS RELEASE
The Kythira and Antikythira Local Property Commission, regarding the building of the old Customs House in Agia Pelagia, announces the following:
– From the beginning of our term, Mayor Charhalakis, in order to prevent this building from remaining in this condition and to ensure it would be transferred to us, began searching various ministries for any documentation that might substantiate the State’s ownership of the property, as provided for in Article 84 of Law 1416/84 regarding local property, but none were found.
– After going through all the lengthy and convoluted bureaucratic procedures, we set a 6-month deadline, in accordance with applicable law, to the Ministry of Finance to submit the required documentation, which deadline has also passed. We then filed a declaratory action in our favor with the competent court and are awaiting the decision, which we hope, based on the existing evidence, will be favorable and that the Customs building will be definitively transferred to us.
– Immediately afterward, a discussion will take place in Agia Pelagia attended by the Mayor, our Committee, the President and the Council of the Community, and, of course, local organizations and residents of the village, to submit proposals for its further development (restoration, demolition, construction of a new building, playground, redevelopment of the area, etc.) in order to provide guidance to the engineers, whom we will IMMEDIATELY commission to prepare the relevant studies, so that funding can then be secured.
The President
Evangelos Venardos
For us older folks, it’s an iconic feature of Agia Pelagia. After all, there aren’t many old features like this left. I would suggest that, should the property eventually be transferred to the municipality, priority be given to options that will allow it to be preserved.