Prinzenpark West: standstill for years?

Created: 01/15/2022 05:54

By: Thomas Leichsenring

An uninviting wasteland: There are no new concepts for the development, says the investor Erl & Streicher.

There at the Karlsfeld train station it will probably look like it is captured in the photo for a long time to come.

© farewell

In the Prinzenpark West development area right next to the Karlsfeld train station, nothing goes any further.

The fault lies with the investor Erl & Streicher, says the municipality.

But now he's fighting back.

Karlsfeld

– Last December, the Dachauer Nachrichten reported that the Karlsfeld municipal council had rejected another usage concept by Erl & Streicher for the Prinzenpark West.

"Because the community has now officially canceled it, we feel compelled to correct some points and issues that have been repeatedly discussed in public," writes Erl & Streicher in a press release.

Assisted living

Erl & Streicher writes that the use of the old people's home/assisted living was not approved at the company's request, but was included in the development plan by the municipality in October 2011, more than two years before the property was acquired, due to the unanimous decision to prepare the third amendment to the development plan.

“The representation that enabling assisted living is a concession by the community is wrong.

The municipality had already decided in 2011 to allow assisted living.” The investor Erl & Streicher admits that the municipality has, however, released itself from the stipulations in the development plan regarding the elevation of the building site.

Among other things, this exemption has simplified the realization of assisted living on the site.

Supermarket

"The community keeps saying that retail has always been advocated and encouraged in the area," the investor's letter said. However, the retail development plan only stipulates retail as a permitted use and not as a prescribed use. In Karlsfeld, however, there are areas that are expressly designated in the development plans as "special retail areas with a fixed use for retail". In the Karlsfeld West development plan, there is no such “special retail area”. "It is therefore not correct that the company Erl & Streicher opposes a mandatory development from the planning law of the municipality of Karlsfeld for development with a retail trade."

“Regardless of this”, Erl & Streicher have made intensive efforts in recent years to set up a retail store.

“However, the community is also aware that large retail chains have rejected the location.

Nevertheless, a retailer was found in 2017.

However, the retailer did not consider the purchasing power potential in the catchment area to be sufficient.” An increased customer potential through the creation of additional apartments would be necessary.

A corresponding concept by Erl & Streicher with an expansion of use for up to 480 apartments was rejected.

The retailer then “withdrew its interest in the location” in 2019.

“Also, it has to be mentioned that this is not a greenfield grocery store in a one-story building with above-ground parking in front of the entrance.

Retail must be located on the ground floor of a five storey building.

For the construction of such a building, the remaining non-retail uses must of course also be available.”

2019 concept

Further concepts were presented "to force a timely development of the area.

The residential part was reduced and a nursing home with day, intensive and inpatient care was planned.

A kindergarten was also planned to meet the community's argument that housing requires further infrastructure measures.

A multi-storey car park was also presented to meet the parking space requirements based on the municipality’s parking space key.”

Current concept

“In 2020/2021, the BRK district association in Dachau approached us as part of the idea of ​​an interim local supplier.

There one could imagine the operation of such an interim solution.” At the same time, the Red Cross was interested in the later operation of the market as well as the kindergarten and the care facility.

There was also interest in office units for the district association and in training rooms.

"The idea concept then developed together with the district association also contained apartments for employees of the BRK in order to make it easier for the employees to look for accommodation," writes Erl & Streicher.

Unfortunately, the municipality also “completely rejected” this proposal.

Usage Default

"According to the development plan, the entire area is intended for the main use as office, commercial and administrative buildings.

Despite an intensive search, it has so far not been possible to find anchor tenants or larger tenants for this."

During negotiations, “employee apartments were always discussed by the company”.   

The usage inquiries from companies forwarded by the municipality to Erlbau also showed that "there is almost no need for the uses permitted in the development plan in the area".

The demand for hotel and office locations is also currently declining, particularly due to the pandemic, regardless of the Karlsfeld location.

Many companies are planning a significant reduction in their office space.

commercial settlement

“Time and again reference is made to the alleged obligations of Erl & Streicher to have businesses that pay trade tax settle here.

The development plan does not contain any building obligation for trade tax-paying uses.

Likewise, such obligations are not apparent from the property owner's original contract with the municipality, which Erl & Streicher assumed when purchasing the property from E.ON."

On the contrary, according to the current provisions of the development plan, the settlement of users who are not subject to trade tax would also be possible.

"There is no construction obligation for commercial tax-paying uses by the property owner vis-à-vis the municipality."

It is undisputed that the municipality relies on tax revenue.

In the case of trade tax, these flow directly to the municipality.

According to Erl & Streicher, “but the income tax allocations should not be neglected.

In this respect, living space for employees also generates income for the community.”

"We have been trying for several years to enable sensible and economically viable uses for the area and have developed various concepts," the press release says at the end.

“We were also willing to sell the site or parts of it to other investors.

Despite various inquiries, all interested parties have now canceled.”

Because of the housing shortage in the Munich metropolitan area and the increasing need for nursing home places, "the rejection of the concepts is incomprehensible to us".

According to Erl & Streicher, there are currently no new concept plans for the site, "so that the period of further development is currently open".

Erl & Streicher assures that they will continue to seek dialogue with the municipality of Karlsfeld.

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