In Saint-Germain-lès-Corbeil, in Essonne, real estate projects are growing like mushrooms and it is not to everyone's taste. In this town of 9,000 inhabitants, what bothers the most is neither the comings and goings of trucks nor the noise of construction machinery, but rather "the risk of seeing the village (sic) denatured". Some, like Claude Parisse, are particularly concerned about the construction of more than 160 social housing units in the heart of the Bois des Chevreaux.
"Twenty years ago, the inhabitants had already mobilized to protect this green lung of the commune. At a time of major climate issues, such a project in such a large wooded area seems incoherent, "says the president of Respectons Saint-Germain, an association of residents.
"No question of touching the wood," reassures the mayor
Yann Petel, the mayor (DVD), wants to calm the "legitimate concern" of his citizens. According to him, "there is no question of touching the Bois des Chevreaux and downgrading it." The elected official informs that the said real estate project "has been moved to the city center". While confiding his current tug-of-war: "We are forced to reach a goal of 25% of social housing by 2025, and on the other hand we are confronted with real estate developers who are attracted by the pleasant living environment of our municipality and to whom we must put a brake. "
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If to date the future of the Bois des Chevreaux is not threatened, some residents note that the path of Étiolles, located in a forest area, is still mentioned in the Local Urban Plan (PLU) as a potential building area. The owners of this private land have since expressed their firm disagreement and put the case in the hands of their lawyer.