Changes!

[Babs]

To my horror I have just read on KTLN that all the wooden seating and pergolas at the Fener have been taken down.....hope this is not a sign of things to come! This was one of our favourite spots in Kalkan. Let's hope this is not a sign of the "sanitation" due to happen......hope someone can come along and tell me there is a good reason for this. 

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=11808.0

[Christina]

Hi Babs, yes it's all true I'm afraid. This proposed harbour development news seems to have escaped the attention of many Kalkan lovers, probably because only a small number follow the forum or other local news sites out of season. They probably expect to return again next season to see everything as it was. But they will be in for a shock.

If you have a moment, read through the discussion thread 'Old town roadworks fiasco' http://enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=11761.0 - which contains more information and a wide range of views about the issue. You can also cross reference this with the news item on the new harbour project plans on the KTLN site. And if you are feeling especially brave, make sure you are sitting down with a stiff drink first, then you can feast your eyes on the architect's plans and artist's impressions of how the new harbour will look.

I acknowledge and respect that everyone is entitled to their own views on this, but KTLN have promised to feed back viewers comments to the architects. So it could be a case of 'speak now, or forever hold your peace'.

I have probably taken up more than my fair share of cyber space with my own passionate opinions on this. All I will say is that I have been staying in the old town for the past month. Nothing could have prepared me for the shock of seeing all the roads torn up (and still not a workman in sight), or Fener cafe being dismantled (which is now just a windswept space). These seemingly senseless and chaotic plans are being carried out before our very eyes, with little or no regard to the inconvenience, misery or financial hardship to residents and visitors. If the council are allowed to blunder ahead with their current harbour scheme, IMHO our beloved Kalkan will be ruined forever.

[Irene]

Hope you had a good birthday Christina!  Agree with everything you have said,  Fener Cafe one of our favourite places in Kalkan - gone, is there nothing left at all?  As for the Old Town road situation - it's a complete farce.

Now is the time for action, if you disagree with these plans - please post on KTLN, who have promised to feedback comments to the Architects.  I have a horrible feeling that Christina is right, the place we all treasure will be gone forever unless we make our feelings known.

[pw]

Sad to hear about Fener....one of my favourite spots....but are the changes there really linked to the proposed future plans for the harbour areas redevelopment? As this is still at the conceptual stage, surely not.. Hopefully they're just sprucing the place up while it's quiet.

pw

[Irene]

I hope you are right PW, but who knows?

[Babs]

Oops.....I wrote a long post about this but it hasn't appeared! Christina I have been following this on here and KTLN and have completed the current survey where you are invited to express your views.
PW.....I really hope you are right about the Fener 

[Christina]

By sheer chance, I was just reading pw's post about Fener, whilst sitting opposite in Kleo Bar, when two of the Fener staff came strolling past and waved at me. I asked them about the dismantling of the cafe. They said that the wooden structure had been 'illegal' and that the Belediye said they must replace it with white plastic structure similar to that at Seaport. On a positive note, they confirmed that Fener, along with the kosk seating, will be back in business by next season - hopefully by April. Longer term, if the harbour plans go ahead, most of Fener could disappear completely. But at least we can all savour the delights of this lovely place for another year.

[pw]

I hope the Fener guys are right Christina but I've had pm in response to my post and it's not positive news. I guess well just have to wait and see.

I don't think there's anything that will stand in the way of this "progress", certainly not Brits/ex pats complaining or petitioning. We'll just have hope that something of Kalkans character survives.........

[kags]

 So sad to hear what is happening around the Fender, it had real atmosphere with locals and visitors alike .Let's hope the new fittings at Fener will be as good, but I somehow doubt that it will. The explainers have a lot to answer. I suggest that all visitors fill in a short questioner at the hotel or villa when they visit Kalkan.
Will be a lot of work for a group of residents, but the feedback will add weight to people's feelings of how the new plans are affecting people who live,work and visit Kalkan.
I know surveys have been done on line but not all visitors read this forum or Kaka news.

[Christina]

I hope the Fener guys are right Christina but I've had pm in response to my post and it's not positive news. I guess well just have to wait and see.

I don't think there's anything that will stand in the way of this "progress", certainly not Brits/ex pats complaining or petitioning. We'll just have hope that something of Kalkans character survives.........

Your PM sounds interesting. Whilst the demise of Fener would be a huge loss to locals and visitors alike, after witnessing the comedy of errors over the road works, nothing would surprise me anymore. There seems to be no channel or process through which to challenge these questionable decisions. I feel like a salmon swimming upstream. The only possible way to have a voice would seem to be to comment via KTLN, who appear to have collected a range of views already for feedback to the Belediye and the architects.

[Babs]

My earlier unsuccessful post expressed my surprise that local business people are apparently not having an input, although I stand to be corrected! It has been said on here that restaurant owners don't care about the changes as long as the tourists keep coming. I would imagine however that many of the restaurant and shop owners understand exactly why people come to Kalkan and realise that too many changes or sanitisation will affect custom.
I know that these changes will not affect the friendly welcome we receive or the stunning view of the bay but I, and I imagine many others would prefer to enjoy these things surrounded by charm and quirkiness rather than concrete!