Years of proceedings

High court ruling lets the excavators roll

The construction site for the first house is already in place, with more to follow soon.(Bild: Norbert Domnik)

After years of legal proceedings, it is now clear: new residential buildings can be built on the Meilsberg near Maria Saal. The local residents have finally had their objections dismissed.

Maria Saal is an idyllic community with lots of nature, where trucks have recently been thundering past on a piecework basis. The grounds on the Meilsberg have been disputed since 2008. The final decision has now been reached following lengthy legal proceedings. "According to the ruling, landowner Franz Dobernig is allowed to allocate 39 plots. For the time being, eight plots can be built on, only then will the upper area be released. This would require a new access road to be built on the small area," says local resident Norbert Domnik, who held the Austrian triathlon record over the Ironman distance for a long time.

A mountain is being pushed away for this. 600 trucks have already driven on it.

Norbert Domnik, Anrainer

Sewer system would have to be extended
The neighbors are against an expansion of the settlement. "The building land is a huge mound of clay. For the first house to be built here, 400 truckloads of clay had to be removed and 200 truckloads of gravel had to be transported. You can see that from the state of the access roads," criticizes Domnik. And he doesn't have a good word to say about those responsible in the municipality: "The sewage system is only designed for the 20 existing houses. It would have to be extended for additional houses. The SP voted for renaturation and then allows such a large construction project."

Mayor Franz Pfaller (SP): "Several mayors were involved in the process. Now the verdict is on the table. We will see how far Dobernig will go with the project." Dobernig is pleased with the ruling of the Supreme Court: "The proceedings began back in 2004. In the end, I am allowed to sell 18 plots. Everything is fine."