Mönchsberg garage: no UVP necessary – salzburg.ORF.at
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There is no environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the expansion of the Mönchsberg garage in the city of Salzburg: the Administrative Court in Vienna has now decided. The preparatory work for the construction can now begin. The garage opponents are now fully committed to a citizen survey.
Since mid-February, amphibians have been resettled on the herb hill in the state capital and protective fences have been erected. The Salzburg parking garage company is getting current offers from construction companies and wants to start expanding the garage by around 650 parking spaces at the end of June, says Managing Director Helmut Sattler. He is pleased and not surprised that the Administrative Court in Vienna has confirmed the previous legal opinions of the Salzburg state government and the Federal Administrative Court.
Knockback for opponents of the garage
The verdict for the project opponents is likely to be a severe blow. The current decision of the Administrative Court against an EIA is final, but the green municipal councilor Lukas Bernitz still sees hope for the garage opponents: “The fact that the EIA procedure has now been rejected is regrettable and has to be accepted. However, one must not forget that the other two applications for an external review of the nature conservation procedure are still pending in Vienna – so here too it is still necessary to wait and see what the outcome will be.”
Hoping for a public consultation
The garage opponents are now building on a citizen survey. The city’s main electoral authority is likely to meet again next week to work out the details. Among other things, all 2,500 signatures submitted must be checked. If at least 2,000 correct declarations of support remain, a date can be set. According to city officials, it could be a Sunday in June.
The result of this citizen survey is not legally binding for the departmental politicians and Salzburg’s Mayor Harald Preuner (ÖVP).