Wolfratshausen city council makes final decision on planned surfing wave

Created: 06/29/2022, 16:45

By: Carl Christian Eick

Stefanie and Marcus Kastner fought for nine long years for an artificial surfing wave in Wolfratshausen.

The association they founded drummed up a good 125,000 euros in donations.

© Sabine Hermsdorf-Hiss/Archive

After nine years of controversial debates about the surfing wave, the Wolfratshausen city council has had the last word.

Wolfratshausen – The body had been laid out since mid-February, and the city council closed the coffin on Tuesday evening at 8:28 p.m. The committee voted 22:0 for the “reversal” of the Surfwelle project.

All resolutions passed since 2013 will be revoked, contracts already concluded will be canceled and the promised around 270,000 euros from the European Union's Leader funding program will be returned.

The bottom line is that the association "Surfing Wolfratshausen" has nothing more than the highest respect for the "immense commitment", according to town hall boss Klaus Heilinglechner (BVW).

Wolfratshausen city council makes final decision on planned surfing wave

As reported, the city council had already grabbed the ripcord in February.

With a vote of 23:0, the citizens' representatives refused to provide another 144,000 euros for the project planned in Weidach.

At that time, the total investment costs amounted to around 1.4 million euros.

Shortly after the meeting, the manufacturer of the shaft construction announced that it could offer a cheaper variant.

Against this background, the surfers' association had asked for a decision as to whether the city wanted to continue the project.

The answer was clear.

Not least because the consequences of the corona pandemic and the war in Ukraine would affect the project.

Mayor Heilinglechner does not rule out "major price uncertainties" and "uncertainties" with regard to delivery times.

I would prefer not to vote at all.

I don't want to actively bury the project.

Third Mayor Annette Heinloth (Greens)

"I fought for the wave for a long time," said Heilinglechner.

"It would have done Wolfratshausen's public image good." But now he sees "no point in commissioning other offices".

Especially since there should be "no further cost discussions" if the city council wants to continue with the project.

But none of the elected officials wanted this.

"The project can no longer be carried out," concluded Sepp Schwarzenbach on behalf of the CSU.

The spokesman for the BVW, Josef Praller, explained with a view to the lower-cost offer from the shaft manufacturer that he was not willing to save "on flexibility and quality" - "just to build a shaft and then have a shaft".

Because the cheaper so-called single ramp significantly limits the operating times of the surfing wave.

"Dramatic cost development" in the surf wave project

Helmut Forster, economics adviser to the city council and parliamentary group leader of the Wolfratshauser list, noted that the new offer had a "little serious" effect on him.

After all, the manufacturer initially advised against a single ramp.

However, the decisive factor behind the no of the three-member parliamentary group was “the dramatic cost development”.

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"I would prefer not to vote at all," said third mayor Annette Heinloth (Greens).

She didn't want to "actively bury the project".

But since no solution is in sight in terms of financing, "I vote with a very heavy heart for the transaction".

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"It's a tough day for me," admitted Dr.

Patrick Lechner (FDP).

In his eyes, the surfing wave would have been a plus for the rafting town.

"The surfing wave aroused emotions," said Fritz buckler (SPD).

"But the time for wishful thinking is over." Making the wave any longer would mean issuing a "blank check" - and that's out of the question.

It would have been a nice project. 

Mayor Klaus Heilinglechner (BVW)

He had pushed for a clear decision, explained City Hall boss Heilinglechner, because after the many ups and downs in the past nine years he wanted to spare the surfer club a likely renewed emotional roller coaster ride.

After all factions had already paid the association around its chairman Stefanie Kastner the greatest praise (the association drummed up a good 125,000 euros in donations for the wave), Heilinglechner said: “Thank you for the immense work.” The volunteers deserve “the greatest recognition”, the City council confirmed this statement with loud applause.

Stefanie and Marcus Kastner heard the last words of Mayor Klaus Heilinglechner's eulogy on the visitors' gallery in the Loisachhalle: "It would have been a nice project." (cce)

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