Plans for Ylläs sauna and restaurant complex advance after flood risk dispute

A long-delayed sauna and restaurant development in Äkäslompolo has received municipal approval after a four-year planning process complicated by flood risk concerns, reports Yle.

The project, led by chef Sirly Ylläsjärvi and investors including Jari Jalonen and Mikko Silventola, will see four to five saunas and two restaurants built along the Äkäsjoki riverbank. The site requires land elevation—known as pengertäminen—to mitigate flood risks, a measure that previously raised concerns among local council members about potential damage to nearby properties.

In December 2025, Kolari’s council initially rejected the zoning plan, citing insufficient data on how land elevation might affect flooding elsewhere. Following further assessments by the Finnish Permit and Supervision Authority (LVV) and the Regional Centre for Economic Development (EVK), authorities confirmed that neighbouring properties would not face significant risk. Calculations showed that even in a maximum flood scenario, water levels would rise by just three millimetres.

The council approved the revised plan this year, though the delay cost the project access to nearly €1 million in potential EU regional development funding (EAKR), which no longer supports tourism projects. Hanna Hietajärvi of the ELY Centre noted that alternative funding—such as the Just Transition Fund (JTF)—remains available, though approval requires stringent criteria, including secured construction permits, detailed plans, and proof of financial stability.

Ylläsjärvi criticised the earlier rejection as emotionally driven rather than fact-based but acknowledged the necessity of addressing flood concerns. The next step is obtaining a building permit, with the team prepared for potential appeals.

Once operational, the complex will offer daytime cooking classes—such as traditional reindeer stew preparation—and evening multi-course menus with theatrical and musical elements. Kolari’s municipal manager, Markku Vehkaoja, emphasised that lengthy planning processes are part of democratic decision-making, noting that Ylläs’s partial master plan has taken six years to finalise.