A court has overturned a previous decision, validating the designation of a section of Shuvalovsky Forest as a recreational zone (R2) within St. Petersburg’s General Plan. This ruling came from the Second Court of Appeal on June 11th.

The initial challenge to the zoning change was filed by Specialized Developer “Vektor” LLC, the owner of two plots within the affected area. The company contested the transfer of the land from a high-rise residential development zone to a recreational zone, arguing that the law on the General Plan was invalid in this regard.

According to SPARK data, “SZ ‘Vektor’” is owned by Alexey Ryzhkov, who is also a co-owner of the Seven Suns Development Group. The plots in question, unofficially known as Shuvalovsky Forest, cover nearly 14 hectares in the Primorsky district, east of the Shuvalovsky residential complex.

During the court proceedings, the governor’s representative argued that the decision to rezone the land from residential to recreational represents a balance between private and public interests.

The owner’s representative has indicated their intention to appeal the decision made by the court of second instance. The new General Plan of St. Petersburg, which includes the recreational zoning of the Shuvalovsky Forest section, was adopted at the end of 2023.