Houses that are being built, houses that are standing, but hardly anyone lives in them: in the Salzkammergut in particular, a hot debate has flared up in recent years about apartments that primarily serve as second homes. A number of municipalities have decided to become reserved municipalities. This goes hand in hand with allowing second homes only in justified exceptional cases. In Gmunden there will be a vote at the municipal council meeting on Monday evening as to whether the town of Traunsee should also declare itself a reserved area.
Paul Lintner comes from Perchtoldsdorf in Lower Austria, is also a property developer as head of APL Immobilientreuhand GmbH and doesn’t like the idea of Gmunden in particular, his second home, becoming a reserved municipality: “My wife and I have had many millions in recent years Invested euros as a developer and also renovated listed houses (such as the Schleiss house, note). We even received the Salzträgerpreis from the municipality of Gmunden for it.”
Lintner points out that many Gmundners who are currently completing their training elsewhere and are registered there as their main residence are listed as second homes in their home town. Likewise, for example, nurse students who are trained in Gmunden but come from somewhere else. This creates a distorted picture. “I have the feeling,” says Lintner, “that the figures are completely wrong. But that’s probably politics.”
Lintner from Wahlgmunden doesn’t think it’s a good idea to let Gmunden become a reserved municipality. There would be more disadvantages than advantages. Several other municipalities in the Salzkammergut that had made this decision would now even regret it. (gs)
Source: Nachrichten
