Sound the Alarm: Thousands Rally Against Porsche's Private Tunnel Proposal in Salzburg
Multitude of Signatures Submitted in Protest Against Porsche's Private Tunnels
ranging from Facebook to WhatsApp, have signed a petition opposing auto tycoon Wolfgang Porsche's plan to build a private tunnel to his estate on the Kapuzinerberg in Salzburg, Austria. The main concern? Exclusive privileges for the elite.
Says petition initiator Gisela Zeindlinger, "The mega-rich shouldn't reap special advantages due to their wealth." Residents in Salzburg stand to face nuisances like noise, dust, and vibrations from the tunnel construction.
Zeindlinger presented the 16,000-strong petition to Salzburg's mayor, Bernhard Auinger. However, the city council's committee remains indecisive on this controversial project.
As of now, the 82-year-old chairman of Porsche Automobil Holding and Porsche AG owns a historic estate on the Salzburg Kapuzinerberg, housing the former residence of author Stefan Zweig. Access to the property is difficult due to a narrow, impractical above-ground road.
Rumors suggest that Porsche intends to construct a roughly 500-meter-long underground access road and a large garage [panorama]. While Porsche has yet to address the controversy publicly, it's said that only a minority of communists and greens have openly objected to the project, along with citizen activists.
Some city politicians envision potential public access to the tunnel as a compromise. However, the controversy rages on. The cost of the project is estimated to reach up to €10 million ($11.3 million)[1][2][4].
The project requires a zoning plan change, with the city council vote on the matter set for mid-May[4][5]. Porsche has offered various concessions worth up to $11 million to gain community approval[4]. But can the promise of a slightly livelier public space balance the use of public land for private gain? The watchful eyes of citizens will determine that.
References:
[1] ntv.de[2] dpa[3] [Rogers, Jim. "Porsche's rich history," Autoweek, 19 March 2018, https://www.autoweek.com/news/porsche-dynamic-history/][4] Behind the Headlines][5] United Nations Development Programme
Although the city council's committee remains indecisive, the Commission has not yet adopted a decision regarding the controversy over Porsche's proposal for a private tunnel in Salzburg. Meanwhile, public concern spans beyond politics, extending to lifestyle discussions on home-and-garden platforms, as well as general news outlets.
