Goldgasse construction project

Late documents annoy Hallein opposition

According to the ÖVP and FPÖ, some of the documents relating to the development of this private property were uploaded too late.

(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

Things got heated in Hallein's Kolping Hall on Thursday evening. For months, a residents' initiative in the salt works town has been mobilizing against the development of a private property in the old town (Goldgasse). Now an initial decision has been made in a special meeting called at short notice. The opposition complained that official reports were sent too late. 

The fact that real estate investor Ditfried Kurz is planning ten apartments on his plot of land in the old town has been a source of annoyance to a residents' initiative for months. On top of all this, the responsible local heritage commission (OBS) completed an expert report in May that gave the new building a positive assessment.

Mayor: "None of you asked to see it"
 By law, this report is not public, which the opposition parties in Hallein were not prepared to accept and called a special meeting. There they not only complained about the "secrecy" of the report by the OBS, but also that Mayor Alexander Stangassinger (SPÖ) had only uploaded the relevant files the day before the meeting - including a new legal opinion. The head of the municipality said at the meeting: "Each of you has had the opportunity to inspect the file since May. As elected representatives, all you have to do is request access. None of you have done that."

The construction file and the pending OBS report state, among other things, that a forecourt needs to be redesigned, including the relocation of stairs and the partial demolition of a wall. The resolution has now been passed with 15 votes from the SPÖ. The opposition left before the vote.

The way we were treated, we could not agree. Why is such a decision not simply discussed in the next Building and Regional Planning Committee?

Stadträtin Katharina Seywald, ÖVP

ÖVP, FPÖ and Greens explain their withdrawal
One person who is familiar with the building file is Hallein's former Deputy Mayor for Building and Regional Planning and now City Councillor Katharina Seywald. What is new for her is the legal opinion from Niederhuber und Partner Rechtsanwälte, which was also uploaded the day before. The expert opinion recommends that a negative decision on the redesign of the forecourt would entail high financial and legal risks due to lawsuits. Seywald says: "We actually went to the meeting and wanted to vote in favor. But the way we were treated, we couldn't. The official report with the legal opinion arrived far too late."

Stangassinger comments: "We commissioned the expert opinion for the fall. Due to the special meeting at short notice, we asked the law firm to proceed more quickly, and the report was received by us on Wednesday and then made available to everyone."

Seywald: "Official reports must be received promptly"
 According to Seywald, the construction project is basically an official procedure that must be dealt with in this way. The ÖVP Hallein is also "in favor of the project". Seywald explains: "I am convinced that it will be nicer afterwards than it is now. But why isn't such a decision simply discussed in the next building and regional planning committee? Then you can go through everything in peace." She calls on local head Stangassinger: "The official reports must be received promptly in future."

This case is too important, that's why we wanted the meeting. 17 documents were sent to us the evening before, some of them legally very complex. It would not be serious for us to vote for or against.

Thomas Solf, FPÖ-Stadtrat

Grossauer: "We have new aspects that were not included."
Rudolf Grossauer from the Green Party explains: "We have numerous new facts and aspects about the property. These were not included. That is why we are not taking part in the vote."

FPÖ city councillor Thomas Solf describes his view of things: "We went out before the decision because you have to be able to prepare for something like this. 17 documents were sent to us the evening before, some of them legally very complex. It wouldn't be serious for us to vote for or against."

This forecourt, including the concrete steps from the 1970s, is to be redesigned.

(Bild: Hilzensauer)

In response to the head of the village's accusation that he could have inspected the site since May, Solf says: "We know we have the right to inspect the site, but this case is so important, that's why we wanted the meeting." Ultimately, Solf thinks it's a shame that the staircase and the forecourt were the main focus, but the wall was not discussed enough. In addition, the OBS report was not conclusive from the FPÖ's point of view and had not been yesterday either.

Is the mayor breaking his election promise?
Hallein's mayor, like all other parties before the 2024 election, announced that he would vote against such a redesign if it was legally possible. The audience at the meeting loudly criticized that everything would be different after the election and that the mayor was breaking his election promise. Stangassinger said in the "Krone" interview: "If I could decide freely, I would have voted against it. But to knowingly act contrary to an expert opinion that predicts financial and legal risks for us is something I personally would not risk, but I would even less expect the citizens of our city to do so, because ultimately the city would have to pay the compensation claims and legal costs."