Planned staff house

A “deceptive package” suspected in the rear Pitztal valley

The generously dimensioned accommodation for employees is to be built near the trees at the back left of the picture.

(Bild: Pechtl)

The Pitztal Gletscherbahnen want to build a staff house on the site of the Rifflseebahn valley station. A Mandarfen resident does not believe this version and suspects a "transformation" into apartments over the years. He is fighting against it.

"I will fight to ensure that old rights are respected," Marcus Pechtl from Mandarfen reports unequivocally in the "Krone" interview. The reason for the "fight" is a project by the Pitztal Glacier Railways. Their plan is to build a staff house, i.e. accommodation for employees, on the Rifflseebahn parking lot. All official channels for realization have already been initiated. A laudable plan, were it not for an entry in the land register.

I know that the employees there have to pay for their accommodation. This means that I am planning an accommodation business, which is ruled out by the land register.

Marcus Pechtl

Does the land register entry overturn the plans of the Gletscherbahnen?
In the 1970s, the predecessor of the Pitztal Gletscherbahnen bought the land from three owners, one of whom was the grandfather of the aforementioned Marcus Pechtl. When selling, the three insisted on the entry of an easement in the land register, which still reads "to refrain from the construction of a restaurant and bar business or accommodation building on plot 5625". In other words: no catering and/or accommodation business on this property. This is exactly where Pechtl comes in: "I know that the employees there have to pay for their lodging. So I'm planning an accommodation business and that's ruled out according to the land register."

Is a staff house an accommodation business?
There was a building negotiation the other day. "Companies have been looking for a place for staff accommodation for some time. In times like these, you have to offer employees attractive workplaces," says BM Elmar Haid, "the zoning is fine, it's uniform. If necessary, you could work with parceling. In the current case, the two parties have to resolve the issue under civil law anyway. In any case, our lawyers say that a staff house is not an accommodation establishment."

For St. Leonhard's mayor Elmar Haid, the dedication is clear and the dispute between the parties must be settled by a civil court.

(Bild: Daum Hubert)

"Old rights must also be accepted"
Marcus Pechtl has already consulted a lawyer. "I also raised objections in the dedication proceedings," says lawyer Markus Moser, "I see very good chances for my client in the civil proceedings." He also voices Pechtl's suspicion that the staff apartments could "turn into apartments" after a certain period of time and that the name "staff house" is a misnomer. In any case, Marcus Pechtl will exhaust all legal remedies because "old rights must also be accepted". What happens now? Moser: "My client has told me that the Gletscherbahnen are trying to get in touch with him. For my part, I will now try to make direct contact and see if there is an out-of-court solution."