Bad Tölz - While Anton Hoefter no longer sees a future for tourism in the spa town after the hotel and Alpamar has been closed, the town hall would like to prevent further hotels and, on the other hand, lucrative housing construction on the Jod-AG properties.
It was somewhat surprising that a few weeks ago, during a press conference, Hoefter spoke of a revitalization of the Hotel Jodquellenhof, of rental apartments for young families, of offices, a restaurant, a cultural offer and the use of the Herderpark, which had been fallow for a long time and was not accessible to the public . At the same time, however, he submitted two preliminary ruling applications to the city for a residential development along Seppstrasse, which the media had not mentioned.
In its most recent meeting, the Tölz city council clearly rejected this project by Jodquellen AG, as it regards the area west of the foyer as suitable for hotel use.
The committee unanimously decided to prohibit changes to the area of the Wandelhalle including the former Alpamare parking lot, as well as to the area on the neighboring Seppstrasse.
For the listed foyer, Jod AG has considered a restaurant in the rotunda facing the Ludwig promenade, behind it an event room and at the end a small hall for culture.
Up to 15 apartments are to be built into the hall itself.
Multi-family houses are planned on the area
"We were somewhat surprised when Jod AG announced its ideas at a press conference," said Mayor Ingo Mehner (CSU). However, one does not recognize these plans in the preliminary ruling applications. Because four or three apartment buildings are planned in the parking lot of the Wandelhalle and the area on Seppstrasse next door. And "40 percent" of apartments are also planned in the foyer, added building authority manager Christian Fürstberger.
The CEO of Jod AG contradicts: "I submitted the plans to the city exactly as I presented them," said Hoefter on request. The overall concept for his properties in the spa district envisages “hotel, work and catering in the center, living on the Alpamare area and the former parking lots”. In the foyer there is the presented mix of restaurant, event space, culture and living. "The city has known about these plans for years," continues Hoefter.
The municipal building committee dealt with the three specific applications for preliminary rulings two days later.
Without discussion, they were each unanimously rejected and “not approved for building authority approval”.
There is an exception for the use of the foyer for conferences and seminars, for culture and gastronomy: "This corresponds to the stipulations of the development plan for the special area Bäderviertel Mitte."
The lobby should not lose its dominant importance
However, Jod AG's preliminary rulings did not go uncommented. City architect Florian Ernst explained the legal situation. He also made use of the intended partial use of the listed foyer with apartments and an underground car park. This is based on an application from 2015, whereby Ernst missed concrete information from the applicant about the future facade design, lighting and statics of the huge hall. He was also of the opinion that Europe's once largest foyer must remain free and must not lose its dominant importance with residential buildings on the west side.
With the change lock, the city is not cementing the standstill, had already said in the city council meeting Fürstberger: "If an application comes that corresponds to the considerations of the development plan - that is, event, culture and gastronomy - then you can also agree." However, there is residential development not possible. New City Councilor Michael Ernst (SPD) was surprised by the approach taken by Jodquellen AG to announce its interests "via press releases". He was "disappointed that you create completely different facts in the end". The city therefore has no choice but to provide clarity with the change lock.
Since Jod AG is currently pending legal action against the city, both parties will first have to wait and see how the administrative judges decide.
In any case, Hoefter has already threatened that nothing will change in the situation of the fallow Jod AG properties if he loses.
Karl Bock
