Pankrateika residents protesting, citing arbitrary actions by municipality
Pankrateika, the apartment buildings, and the surrounding area are private property, the residents say.
CORFU. “Chaos” over the passage of cars toward the “Lyriko” and the school. It is a private area, the residents insist, and you are violating it just to pass through!
The dispute over vehicle access in Pankrateika—both to the local school and to the parking area created by the Municipality’s Technical Services—is growing. After the 4th High School sent a letter urging the Municipality “to bypass the objections of a few residents,” the people living in the nearby apartment buildings have now made public the complaints they have been submitting since September, stressing that the area in question is private property and that this is why they installed a barrier.
Also telling is the response issued on 3 November by the Municipality’s Technical Services:
“...The barrier on the roadway was not installed by our department. We believe it was located on the section of Kolokotroni Street in front of Block 510A, which belongs to the Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands.”
The residents’ protest
In their letter, the residents accuse the Municipality of Central Corfu of illegally and abusively encroaching on their property by opening a route that provides access to the Lyriko plot—an action they say violates their ownership and possession rights.
At 104 Donatou Dimoulitsa Street, in the Pankrateika area (Sourvinos apartment buildings), Deputy Mayor Andreas Kardonas — with the knowledge of Mayor Stefanos Poulimenos, who visited the site for an inspection — removed the barriers separating their plot from that of the Lyriko. According to the residents, this was done without any prior notice or consent, in order to allow traffic from Donatou Dimoulitsa Street to reach what is described as the Lyriko’s temporary parking area, using the common space and roadway owned by the apartment buildings.
By doing so, they argue, the municipality trespassed on private property, undermined their quality of life, put their physical safety at risk, and disrupted their peace of mind — all without any study, consultation, or compensation, but simply through an arbitrary use of power.
They further note that the flow of vehicles is constant and uncontrolled. In addition to the dust and noise they endure day and night, they say there is a serious risk of an accident, as many drivers pick up speed in a confined area already narrowed by parked cars that do not even belong to local residents.
As affected property owners, they are calling on the authorities to immediately restore their property boundaries to their original condition and to halt all vehicle traffic — both motorcycles and cars — through their premises within the legally prescribed timeframe following the submission of their letter.
They also request written notification of any steps taken, stating that they reserve the right to pursue all legal actions necessary to block vehicle passage through the encroached area and to protect their rights.
"A topographic diagram is attached, depicting the exact boundaries of our properties and confirming the encroachment on our land by the Municipality of Central Corfu."
GIORGOS KATSAITIS
