Frankfurt: fight for two trees
-
fromThomas Stillbauer
conclude
A new building between Gallus and Europaviertel is displacing green. The trees should fall on Friday. Local residents protest.
This Friday shows one of the great urban conflicts of our time. At the border between Gallus and the Europaviertel, the motto is: plants or stones? Tree or building?
There is no forest at stake, it is about two trees, and the matter is decided – to the annoyance of Antje Ries and other residents: inside. They have been fighting for the trees between the Cameroon Rose Garden and Altenhainer Strasse since January. 175 people signed a petition. “And yesterday I found out that the trees will be felled on Friday,” says Ries, disappointed. ABG Frankfurt Holding is planning a house with 18 residential units and a day-care center on the property. A 37-year-old chestnut and a 42-year-old bird cherry, which stand next to the area, should give way according to the parliamentary resolution. The submission went through the local advisory board and several committees.
No place for roots
Antje Ries was there regularly, discussing, explaining and making suggestions: Why not plan the open space that is planned for the daycare center at the point that borders the trees? Then they could stay and their roots would not be disturbed by the designated cellar. The lack of space for the roots is one of the problems planners see for the trees. The second: The tendering of the construction site requires a major cut back. The chestnut will not survive either.
The problems exist because the apartments were added to the originally sought-after daycare center, says Antje Ries. ABG managing director Frank Junker contradicts this. “The trees should have been felled for the daycare too. When, otherwise I can’t build there.” The city, ABG operator and daycare operator would have decided on the planning. “I’d rather think about it ten times before I fell a tree, but here I couldn’t do it any other way.”
Ries sticks: Apparently no one has a serious interest in trying to plan the property in such a way that the trees can remain next to it, “which I find very sad and descriptive”.
Rüdiger Hansen from BUND complains that the principle of “planning from the green” is still not being observed. “And that although the population growth that was forecast years ago is not coming,” he says. “Going blindly from this growth is detrimental to the city. It can’t go on like this. ”Hansen actually sees opportunities to save the green. “As long as the saw is not on the tree, you can still prevent it.” On Friday there will be protests in any case: “Some people from the resistance side will be there.”