From the State Horticultural Show to the Roche expansion: “These are all signposts for the future”

Created: 2023-01-02 14:02

By: Wolfgang Schorner

Penzberg city center: Changes are imminent.

© Wolfgang Schörner

The corona pandemic is not over yet, but life is getting back to normal.

The local newspaper spoke to Mayor Stefan Korpan (CSU) about the highlights of the past twelve months and the prospects for 2023, projects worth millions, affordable housing and the future of the city center.

Mr. Korpan, after two and a half years of Corona and various restrictions, something like normality has returned, including a folk festival and your personal premiere when tapping.

What were the highlights of 2022 for you as mayor?

If you relate it to Corona, then it was the events where people came together again, at the maypole erecting, at the folk festival, at the city festival and at the Christmas parties.

There is nothing worse than just communicating online or via email.

It's easy to misunderstand something, unlike when you're sitting across from each other.

Was there something in political work that you would describe as the highlight of 2022?

Penzberg Mayor Stefan Korpan.

© Wolfgang Schörner

There were a lot of big issues.

But it was also important that we returned to the boardroom for the city council meetings.

You sit closer together and talk to each other more.

You have, in the truest sense of the word, slipped back together.

That makes a difference.

And the big issues?

It is certainly a great benefit that we have brought the State Horticultural Show to Penzberg for 2028.

Other topics are that we have pushed ahead with the housing project on Birkenstrasse, that Metropol has opened and that we are on the last legs of the gymnasium on Josef-Boos-Platz, which is also important for the shooters and bowlers, who then go back to their Club rooms can go back.

A major project was the development plan for the Roche extension, which was adopted as a statute.

The new land use plan, the competitions for the city center and the mobility concept were launched.

These are all signposts for the future.

Speaking of housing: Affordable housing is repeatedly cited as a pressing problem.

What is the city doing?

As a city, we are building 149 apartments west of Birkenstrasse.

If you look around in the area: Which municipality does this to this extent?

This is a project with an investment volume of over 55 million euros.

And you also have to see: A private company is building 385 apartments on the Edeka site.

For a third of these, i.e. for more than 100 apartments, we as the city receive the procurement law.

This will also be affordable housing.

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There is a proposal to involve cooperatives such as the Free State’s “BayernHeim” for further housing projects.

Would that be an option?

In any case.

We are in contact with the "BayernHeim".

However, there is still no concrete project on a concrete plot of land.

In this case, it would not be about a house with 30 apartments.

The "BayernHeim" has different, bigger standards.

Would the municipal properties on Daserweg next to the "Spatzennest" day care center or on Karlstraße at the former slaughterhouse even be considered?

You would have to look at that in detail with the "BayernHeim".

With the WWP cooperative (“We live in Penzberg”), we are now taking the next step and seeing whether we can work with them on the other municipal property on Daserweg...

...on the area in front of the junction to Unterfeldstrasse...

...create affordable housing.

A municipality alone cannot solve the housing problem.

Because we are on the subject of money: During the deliberations on the 2023 financial budget, it was said that there is currently no money for projects such as school renovation and housing on Daserweg.

On the other hand, the city of Penzberg expects 51 million euros in tax revenue.

How does that fit together?

I already said that last year.

In the past, large projects have been put on the track that we first have to work through.

You have to look at the sums: for example, 55 million euros for housing on Birkenstrasse, almost 13 million euros for the gym on Josef-Boos-Platz, almost 6 million euros for the Metropol, plus the planned kindergarten on Nonnenwaldstrasse and the family bathroom.

These are all projects worth millions.

Stopping them would end up being even more expensive.

They are good projects too.

But perhaps at the time we should have considered waiting with one or the other.

There is also a lot of discussion at the moment about the future of the inner city, where private building projects may take place over the next few years.

This triggers fears that old buildings will disappear and Penzberg will become "faceless".

How do you see the danger?

With the competition for the inner city, we are trying to avoid exactly that.

We don't have the classic old town like Bad Tölz or Murnau.

In Penzberg there are only a few old buildings with 100 years.

The aim of the competition is for around 15 architects to contribute their ideas – for an image of the city center for the next 100 years.

It's about roof shapes, facades, recurrences and dormers, and also about not creating a canyon of houses.

That's why I'm not afraid.

Do you think that the private owners who want to build will stick to it?

They have to because we specify it in the development plan.

But we also involve the property owners.

We ask them about their ideas.

In the end, everyone can support the result.

When do you expect the results of the competition?

They should be available in autumn 2023.

A look at 2023: what would you wish for?

That after the corona restrictions we will continue living together in 2019.

And that peace will come to Ukraine.

And what are you looking forward to?

Quite profane: maybe the family pool that is scheduled to open in 2023?

You immediately have the picture of former mayor Kurt Wessner in mind.

That's what I wanted to say.

Kurt Wessner jumped off the three-meter board in a suit when the wave pool opened in 1976.

What to expect from you

(laughs) That's hard to top.

The question is: do you do the same or something different.

I'll put it this way: I'll definitely climb one or the other three-meter tower in other indoor pools beforehand and see if it would work.