The industrial area in Steinkirchen is expanded. After a passionate discussion, the members of the zoning and environment committee decided on Thursday evening to designate another 10,000 square meters of arable land for commercial use at the eastern end of Semmelweisstrasse in the direction of the biotope. Reason: Two global companies that have been based in Steinkirchen for many years want to expand – but they can no longer find a place in the current industrial park and the surrounding area.
With this decision, the Planegger municipal council has said goodbye to its previous policy of reluctance to designate new industrial and commercial areas.
The Sanacorp company is one of the largest drug suppliers in Europe. It has 18 branches in Germany with 3000 employees and makes an annual turnover of more than five billion euros. The head office is in Planegg in the Steinkirchen industrial park. The second company that wants to expand is Eurofins Scientific, a leading international laboratory group with 55,000 employees. The company has a turnover of almost five billion euros and is active in 50 countries. The Planegg site was inaugurated just a few years ago. Both companies together have around 1000 employees there.
Potent business taxpayers
The companies, reported Margit Eusemann from the building authority – without naming them – want to renovate or expand. One must assume that the companies, if they cannot find a place in Planegg, would orientate themselves elsewhere – the community might lose two powerful business taxpayers. It has been checked for a long time: But the necessary 15,500 square meters of laboratory and office space are currently neither available in Steinkirchen nor in Martinsried, said Eusemann. Mayor Hermann Nafziger (CSU) has probably reached a promise for a sale in preliminary talks with the property owners. The companies have made far-reaching concessions to environmental protection requirements – such as green roofs – and a day care center is also to be built, said Nafziger.
The discussion in the local council was controversial. While representatives of the CSU, the Greens, the FDP, Free Voters and the free municipal councilors Philipp Pollems and Peter von Schall-Riaucour praised Nafziger’s negotiating skills in the highest tones, Felix Kempf (SPD) and Eva Schreier (Green Group 21) were critical. Mayor Nafziger emphasized that Planegg needed money to be able to “invest in climate protection”. The project means a “balance between ecology and economy: we have to remain able to act. If we do not expand, the companies will leave”. Peter von Schall (Pro Planegg & Martinsried) spoke of “a great coup that is good for our finances”.
Judith Grimme (Greens) sees good ecological approaches. Eva Schreier, on the other hand, spoke of “destruction: nature cannot be replaced by a green roof”. The “ink for the new zoning plan” is “not yet dry”. At that time the citizens had expressly spoken out against further business settlements. Once initiated, Steinkirchen will become even bigger. Felix Kempf wasn’t exactly impressed by the plans either. He referred to the desolate housing situation in Planegg and asked: “Where should people live? And what about the additional traffic?” He sees predominantly “serious disadvantages and an imbalance”.
An application by the SPD and Grüner Gruppe 21 to discuss the issue again in detail in the local council was rejected. Against the two votes from the SPD and the Green Group, a new development plan was decided. The municipality’s land use plan, which has just been adopted, must now be changed accordingly.