Shortly before the crucial meeting of the Unterschleißheim city council, the Greens and the Bund Naturschutz are increasing the pressure to overturn the decision to cut down a number of trees for the construction of the Michael Ende elementary school. On Tuesday afternoon, representatives of the tree protectors handed over Mayor Christoph Böck (SPD) 1056 signatures that they had collected for the preservation of the wall on the Munich Ring and the up to 40-year-old trees on it. The collection ran through an online petition and on the street within 19 days. According to the announcement, duplicate signatures were eliminated, as were signatures from people who do not live in Unterschleißheim.
From the point of view of the Greens, this is a new and important argument to revise the decision made in the building and environment committee at the end of November. They are calling for this in an emergency motion that is on Thursday’s agenda. The town hall, however, thinks little of reopening the matter. This emerges from the meeting proposal, which states that the other necessary planning for the school building has recently been “resolutely continued” in order to complete the school by 2026, when the right to all-day care for primary school children comes into force. The approval plan was submitted on January 16th. It is already at the Stadtwerke for assessment.
But the Greens emphasize that they see the determination of many citizens, which they saw at the information stands, as reinforced in their position to demand a school building with a planning variant that preserves the wall and the vegetation. The Greens insist on leaving the trees standing for better protection against noise and exhaust fumes. It is about climate protection, climate adaptation, shading and the preservation of valuable city green as a habitat for animals and plants. The supporters’ arguments that the wall is urgently needed for a wider footpath and cycle path are questioned with a view to the most frequently used school routes. It was also out of time to cut down trees for the school’s architectural appearance on the main street.
But the town hall administration warns that extensive rescheduling could result in delays of around eight weeks and additional planning costs. There is a significant risk that this will delay the entire project and result in further additional costs.