Bogenhausen: Citizens reject climate study on Marien Gardens – What comes next?

Bogenhausen: Citizens reject climate study on Marien Gardens – What comes next?

Yesterday evening, around 350 interested citizens came together for the Bogenhausen town hall meeting in the sports hall of the “old” Hausenstein high school. The focus of the meeting was on current applications and inquiries regarding structural aspects, especially with regard to traffic issues. A central theme came from local resident Xenia Weimann, who urgently called for a climate study from the Technical University to examine the potential impact of the planned construction projects on local temperatures. This applies in particular to the Mariengarten residential complex, which is to be built on the Geith & Niggl site on the corner of Marienburgerstrasse and Memeler Strasse.

The planned 520 residential units and the high block development of up to 15 floors met with resistance. Weimann argued that this design could act as an overheating factor. While a representative of the planning department informed that the 15-story high-rise buildings were no longer part of the planning and that climate expertise had already been obtained, the vote on the climate study requested by Weimann was rejected by 74 votes to 72. A disappointing result for advocates of a thorough study of climate impacts.

Construction projects in the neighborhood

The other items on the agenda also caused discussions. An application to use the unused low-rise building on Preziosastrasse 43 received 43 votes in favor with 44 votes against 30. An application to improve the outdoor lighting along Fideliostraße for the Wilhelm-Hausenstein-Gymnasium was approved, and yet there were only two votes against. On the other hand, the council was divided over the future of the demolished Agip gas station property. A request about this remained unanswered, city representatives were unable to present any concrete plans and promised to submit an answer later.

Another hot topic was the Bavarian Supply Chamber's application to reduce the height of the high-rise building on Richard-Strauss-Straße. This was rejected, although a representative of the planning department made it clear that the building permit was already available and that reducing the height from 116 to 90 meters was not easily possible. A height of 96 meters is planned for the tower with 25 floors, as well as two other buildings with heights of 60 and 50 meters.

Urgent housing need

The discussion about living space also became clear in the Freischütz Gardens. An application for the city to acquire 80 empty apartments was approved with a large majority. Many residents called for the planned construction project to be completed quickly, but the planning department made it clear that there were no legal means to accelerate its rapid implementation. In a broader context, the current situation in Bogenhausen points to the challenges facing German climate policy, as the Bosch Foundation also emphasizes. The need for close involvement of citizens in the decision-making process is made a central demand.( Bosch Foundation )

The project “Climate Codetermination e.V.” aims to use innovative formats of deliberative participation to open up new ways to overcome social tensions in the area of ​​climate protection. The citizens of Bogenhausen want more say in decisions that affect their daily lives and the environment. The trend towards greater transparency and participation could also deliver fruitful results here if the actors manage to reconcile the various interests.