Negotiations for the property on which the popular Heide Volm tourist restaurant once stood are on hold. However, the municipality does not want to give up the area completely.
The negotiations between the municipality of Planegg and the representatives of the Heide family for the 14,000 square meter property at the train station are completely deadlocked. For the first time in almost a year, Planegg’s Mayor Hermann Nafziger (CSU) addressed the public to draw attention to the apparent speechlessness between the negotiating partners. Nafziger said at his monthly press conference: “I don’t get any response to my offers to talk. It’s currently out of our hands.”
The demolition of the amusement and event temple Heide Volm a year ago, which is well known beyond Bavaria’s borders, was “completely surprising” for the community, Nafziger emphasized now. The actions of the owners initially destroyed all the municipality’s plans to realize their ideas on the attractive property. The results of an architectural competition envisaged the construction of affordable housing, a supermarket with underground parking, a number of other infrastructure facilities and a bus station. All of that had to be put on hold first.
From the beginning, the municipality tried to buy the property. As a result, according to Nafziger, an appraisal was carried out. The mayor is silent about numbers. It was not denied that the 14,000 square meters were valued at around 20 million euros. The offer was sent to the lawyers. With a pre-emption statute, Planegg secured the possibility of an acquisition. But the “incredible sum” (Nafziger) demanded by the other side made further negotiations difficult. “If you are not satisfied with our offer, then create your own report,” he said to the negotiating partners, the mayor said. But nothing happened for weeks. “Then I looked for a face-to-face conversation several times. The reaction was reserved and skeptical.” There was no further contact: “You obviously don’t want the conversation,” says Nafziger, now disappointed.
In the last budget, the municipality provided twelve million euros “as an advance” for the purchase of the property, says Nafziger. What happens now? The mayor points out that the municipality does have leverage: “The property must be developed together with the municipality. We have the planning authority.” This means that the landowner cannot realize any ideas that do not fit into the municipality’s urban planning intentions. In the worst case, everything stays as it is at the moment: A huge gaping building site at the train station. The municipality now wants to tackle the northern part of the station area. Apartments and infrastructure facilities are also planned there.
In any case, the municipality will stick to its plans: “For me it is a heart’s desire that the municipality can buy the wonderful property and develop it ourselves. We don’t have to think like an investor.” And then, almost defiantly: “We also have other uses for the twelve million euros.”