From the moment word leaked out in the media that the company responsible for most of the property on the old American base is putting it up for sale to private entrepreneurs, the Gouves community began closing ranks in strong opposition to the plan.

The uproar began when the media recently reported that the Public Properties Service Co. (ΚΕΔ) announced plans for the development of "six bon filet public properties" – with the Old American Base in Gournes being one of them – "with the participation-partnership of private interests."  

The plan involves releasing thousands of stemmata of unimaginable worth for possible use as tourist complexes, convention centers, shopping malls, parking facilities, restaurants, office buildings, and other commercial undertakings.

Included in this plan to commercialize these prime properties is 460 stemmata of land within the boundaries of the Gournes base, including the pristine shorefront – a bon filet – which will be cut away from public access.

Apparently, ΚΕΔ had an agreement signed by the old administration but nothing had been done for many years. Suddenly, and without warning, the company advanced with proceedings for the private development without apprising any of the associations concerned with the management of this property.

"Times have changed, and now we must negate that type of thinking," Mayor Yiorgos Nikolakakis said. "That's why Governor Skinaraki and I are on the board of the Irini Company, which was incorporated to develop the base property for public use. We must come up with a realistic plan which will benefit the entire community, and its surrounding area."

Mayor Nikolakakis said he is supportive in developing the base’s public character, a library, a museum, decent contemporary schools, a concert hall, certainly a hospital, a fire station, a police station etc. However, he says, everything is not just black and white.

He added that the legal aspects in this situation are enormous, such as the true ownership, or degree of ownership, of the base, and the legality of the existing collaboration agreement; there were three decisions regarding this agreement during the previous administration.

"Perhaps we shouldn’t rule out some private enterprising, but all proposals and works must be done within the framework and the guidelines and in accordance with the needs of our people in the municipality”, the mayor said. "We will fight for our right to be a part of the decision-making process. But, it is not enough just to say: 'no, we don't want something'. We must come up with an alternate plan and move quickly. We don't want this property to continue as a 'black hole' for another 10 years." 

Meanwhile, other local political leaders are joining the fight and associations are rapidly being formed locally, calling for a series of mobilizations to block the selling out of the base property and demanding that it be used solely for the social needs of the local population and those in the greater metropolitan area of the municipality.

"Our local population follows with mistrust the announcements and the intentions of the Public Properties Service Company for the privatizing of the old American base," said Councilman Mihalis Plevrakis.  "The Gouves citizens seem determined to disallow the prospect of losing an area of such vital importance to the township and the entire province."

He said the prospect that the base would be given in its entirety to the Irini Company to be developed for public use seems to have been just an empty promise.

"I believe that it is time, regardless of past decisions, for the new government to convene a municipal council meeting, and its only issue should be to form, or restructure and update, the position of our township regarding the development of this property, and to define our position towards this recent development," the councilman said.  

He added that all associations and local residents must be invited to attend this council meeting so that a single dynamic position can be formed, which will be binding to all.

"This matter must not be thought of as an opposition party issue," he explained. "It is a matter which affects us all, and everyone must be unanimous in this issue since in the case of the Base privatization, this property will be transformed into a closed area to all, without an existing possibility of free use by our local citizens. It is therefore necessary to claim this property in a unified and dynamic manner, and demand it be developed for parks, recreation venues and support services for the township in general."

Leading the citizens' opposition to the ΚΕΔ proposal is Committee Fight, an association formed to defend the Public character of the old American base and its development for the benefit of the people in the township and those in the greater metropolitan area. 

At its inaugural meeting, the committee agreed that The Collaboration Agreement signed by previous governments should be withdrawn and voided and the mayor and councilmen should take a clear and succinct position.

Dimosthenis Karagianis, an educator and local resident, emphasized that "big businesses on base will destroy local small businesses which are the backbone of the area and the true owners of the base properties."

The general climate at the meeting, as described by the committee's governing panel, was that the Iraklion government obviously doesn’t care enough to have had development proposals drawn up, and presented to Public Properties Service, and that too much valuable time has passed.

As expressed by one committee member: "All political parties should step aside, because the right to decide this issue belongs to each and everyone in the township. It's time for us to take up the fight!"

The committee has scheduled a protest rally to be held December 9 in front of the base church at 11 a.m., followed by a short march to the old National Road in front of the base for a demonstration and a symbolic closing of the road.

Meanwhile, the committee has scheduled a number of open meetings to be held in various villages.

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