Unexpected problem with the expansion of the Pucher Meer: The city has not succeeded in acquiring the necessary land as planned. It is still unclear what will happen next.
Fürstenfeldbruck – "That doesn't make it any easier," commented Mayor Christian Götz on the development when asked by Tagblatt. However, nothing is lost, Götz emphasized – but there may be delays.
The topic is not public because it is about prices and the concerns of third parties. According to Tagblatt information, it was recently discussed in the corresponding committee of the city.
Contract collapsed
One thing is clear: Almost at the last second, the signing of a contract between the owner – the gravel mining and reclamation company KRO – and the city failed. The period within which certain pre-negotiated offers should apply has also expired. There is nothing left but to renegotiate – although the path to the expansion of the Pucher Meer by a large water surface including another sunbathing lawn seemed to be already mapped out. "From the city's point of view, everything would have been clear," says Götz.
But how could this development come about? The agreement between the city and the owner on the sale to the city had recently been extended until June 30, 2023. But then changes became necessary, which were negotiated in December 2022, according to a paper from the city.
One of these changes concerned the breakthrough between the existing and then new lake area. Originally, it was agreed that the company KRO would be responsible for this – the breakthrough is also about gravel mining.
The changes
But then it became clear that the recreation area association, which finances and carries out the expansion, wants to make the breakthrough itself. The reason given was that an early connection between the first and second lake would invite bathers to use the new water surface, which could have made the expansion of the new area more difficult.
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In addition, the circular route around the current lake would have been interrupted early and beach volleyball would no longer have been possible until further notice. In addition, although the recultivation is progressing well, it has not yet been completed.
So the agreement was revised, which necessitated a notary appointment. This was supposed to take place in February 2023. In January, however, the KRO company began clearing the Rothschwaiger forest, which led to some harsh criticism from the city. For this and other reasons, KRO's negotiations have been put on hold, according to the city. From mid-May, negotiations continued, and a "contract that was largely ready to be signed" was concluded, according to the report. However, this was not available until 22 June. Too late for the notarization, according to the city.
Deadline ends
Shortly after the end of the validity period, KRO revoked the previously valid offer. In other words, practically everything was set to zero. However, further willingness to sell has been signaled, the city reports. Now, however, there is also the chance to think about other models – such as leasing the site instead of buying it.
Legal position
Talks will be sought in the coming months, Mayor Christian Götz (BBV) now announces. With regard to the conceivable delays, he points out that the recreation area association would not have been able to take over the expansion immediately anyway. Mayor Götz is convinced: The city is not in a bad position.
Thomas Vilgertshofer, Managing Director of KRO, emphasizes that he was concerned with preserving his legal position. He reports on long negotiations and a great deal of back and forth, also with regard to fishing rights and the remaining gravel mining on the site. All of this led to delays – and then, in the end, the city simply lacked a city council resolution.
A wake-up call
Against the background of the whole development, he did not want to agree to a further extension of the deadline, Vilgertshofer said in response to a Tagblatt request. "That was a bit of a wake-up call. It doesn't work that way."
Of course, the Allingen entrepreneur, who has experienced the criticism of his company because of the gravel mining in the Rothschwaige as very disproportionate, also emphasizes on the subject of Pucher Meer: "That should be talked out now. We should settle this calmly, without time pressure." Like Götz, he is of the opinion that nothing would have happened so quickly anyway.
Thomas Vilgertshofer can actually imagine a lease and emphasizes that there are no bad intentions behind the matter. One thing he completely excludes: "We don't want to create our private bathing lake out there."
Comment: This should not have happened
There are things you just can't mess up. The signing of the Pucher Meer Treaty is one of them. To let an agreement that has existed for years at its core and only changed in details fail at the last second is a remarkable bad achievement. Some city councillors even speak of "administrative failure" behind closed doors, although rhetorical disarmament would not hurt some either.
The sometimes really garish comments on gravel mining in the Rothschwaige at that time were certainly not exactly helpful. Now the child has fallen into the well – and the city is not to be envied, as it wants the expansion at all costs. Who knows what will be mixed up in the negotiations. Who knows what sums will come to the call. The Lord Mayor is to be wished a happy hand. (st)
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