Penzberg: "Ice Fairy Tale" will be a plastic variant
Created: 06/07/2022, 15:00
By: Andreas Baer
The “Ice Fairy Tale” belongs back on the Penzberg town square – the town councilors (almost) agreed on that.
© Archive RS
Penzberg - There is another "Ice Fairy Tale" on the Penzberg town square.
However, in a plastic version.
The city council decided.
The good news: after the compulsory Corona break, Penzberg will be getting
its "Ice Fairy Tale" on the town square again
from December 3rd to January 8th, 2023 .
The bad news for all nostalgics: The 37 opening days run on a synthetic ice rink instead of on conventional ice.
The city council agreed on this – albeit just barely.
Recently more than 17,000 visitors
The “Ice Fairy Tale” had to be canceled twice in the past few years due to the pandemic.
This year it should - if a corona wave doesn't intervene - take place again in the center of Penzberg.
The icy spectacle on the town square celebrated its premiere in 2014.
At 600 square meters, it was the largest ice surface south of Munich.
The number of visitors increased steadily.
Most recently in 2019/2020, according to the town hall, to 17,366 guests.
Until now, ice skate fans have had their fun with the "Ice Fairy Tale" on real ice.
© RS Archive
High power consumption
Reason enough for the communication, culture and economy department in the town hall to plan the big event again.
But this year everything is different.
Not only Corona, but above all the increased energy costs in the course of the Ukraine war made planning alternatives necessary.
The expenses for energy are "difficult to calculate", department head Thomas Sendl made clear in the most recent city council meeting.
The energy consumption for the “Ice Fairy Tale” 2019/2020 corresponded to an average annual consumption of 7.5 family households, according to the city’s environmental and climate protection department.
As an alternative to the energy-intensive natural ice, the administration asked around for suppliers of synthetic ice rinks.
However, these variants are about twice as expensive: According to Sendl, instead of around 50.
000 euros for 600 square meters of space then around 100,000 euros due.
Expert opinions also differ when it comes to harmful microplastics, according to Sendl.
The variant is "not necessarily environmentally friendly," he said.
In addition, there are fears that visitors will be lost because the plastic track is more difficult to drive on than natural ice.
Noise is still an issue
Sendl also addressed the issue of "noise".
In the past, residents on the town square had repeatedly complained about it.
A TÜV report in 2020 showed that limit values had been exceeded.
- the "Ice Fairy Tale" can only run under strict conditions and without events such as the ice disco.
"With a lot of effort," says Sendl, the noise levels could be met.
However, "much of the attraction" would be lost.
An alternative would be a new location on the Berghalde.
However, this was not met with enthusiasm by the city council.
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Berghalde quickly off the table
There was no supporter in the committee for the Berghalde.
A location on the fairground was unanimously rejected.
The "Ice Fairy Tale" should definitely take place in the city center ("our problem child"), demanded Maria Probst (CSU).
"It has become well established," emphasized Armin Jabs (BfP) and described it as a "magnet".
Scarce for plastic
On the other hand, it became scarcer with the subsoil.
Ten councilors voted for natural ice, twelve MPs for the artificial variant.
CSU faction leader Probst warned of "Hanni's plastic fairy tale".
Adrian Leinweber (SPD) also advocated natural ice.
Likewise his parliamentary colleague Elke Zehetner ("a fairy tale of success"), for whom this variant is the "classic".
Markus Bocksberger (PM) and Kerstin Engel (Greens) advocated plastic.
While Bocksberger would like to “try something new”, for Engel with the classic surface it would be “irresponsible to squander energy”.
BfP man Jabs also spoke out in favor of the plastic variant in view of the incalculable energy costs: "It's safer." Likewise Jack Eberl (FLP): These are "self-lubricating artificial ice rinks" that are quieter.
Two councils say “No” completely
Two city councilors voted completely against the "ice fairy tale".
For Regina Bartusch (SPD), "the imponderables are a bit big," she said with a view to Corona, household and energy.
John-Christian Eilert (Greens) called "the overall situation too uncertain".