Rupperswil
Conversion of the parish hall: “If you only want to spend two million francs, you have to vote no”
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The municipal council and experts informed the population about the conversion of the municipal building and what could be created in the center of Rupperswil. The sovereign would have to grant credit for both.
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The total renovation of the Rupperswil community center is expected to cost around four million Swiss francs.
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When you enter the community center in Rupperswil, you are a bit lost. Because the counters that you usually want to go to are on the first floor. Loneliness settles up the stairs. There, however, one would wish for them: the switches are anything but discreet.
These are reasons why the parish hall should be rebuilt. However, not the most important, as was learned on Thursday evening. The municipal council held an information event on the project loan of around CHF 300,000 to plan the conversion of the municipal building. Information was also provided about the commitment credit of three-quarters of a million Swiss francs for the development of the center plan. The sovereign votes on both at the community meeting on Friday, June 10th.
A smaller minus than expected
At the community meeting on June 10th, the annual accounts will also be discussed, which close with a minus of almost 100,000 francs; an expense surplus of CHF 900,000 had been budgeted (tax rate: 97%). The urn wall burial site is to be expanded for 200,000 francs, and a further 570,000 francs are being requested for the commitment credit for replacing and relocating the “Cometro” transformer station, which is currently on the ground floor of Schelling AG. The last item on the agenda is the revised cemetery and burial regulations. (ewa)
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“We will not gild the house”
The parish hall was built in 1968. The whole building contains asbestos and is not barrier-free. It only has one meeting room. “Bereavement talks sometimes have to be held in the offices,” explained David Zimmerli, Managing Director of Rupperswiler Setz Architektur AG. Some of these, in turn, are too small and the building technology and the shell are outdated. “These investments will come one way or the other,” said Zimmerli to the around 50 people who were interested.
At the time the house was being built, the need for offices was significantly smaller. However, they have built far-sighted enough that there is a reserve. During the current conversion, too, care is being taken to create areas that can be used flexibly. “We will not gild the house,” said Zimmerli preventively, but also emphasized: “If you only want to spend two million francs, you have to vote no.” If the electorate says yes to the project loan, renovation and conversion are planned for around 4.1 million francs.
Different ownerships and interests
The sovereign should speak a loan of over 750,000 francs for the planning of the center of Rupperswil around the train station. However, only a third of this would actually go to the municipal coffers, two thirds would be paid by the landowners.
A need had already become apparent when the building and usage regulations were being drawn up. It came into legal force a year ago and forms the spatial planning basis for the structural development of the center. A survey of the population had shown that what is missing is above all a major distributor, a shop for everyday needs. Where and how this would be possible and further measures to upgrade the center should be planned after the commitment credit has been accepted.
–The center of Rupperswil (right) is to become more attractive. In order to plan how, the municipal council applies to the population for a commitment loan.
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What seems feasible from a bird’s eye view becomes more difficult the closer you look. This became clear in the statements made by local councilor Daniel Marti and Erich Faes from the BC AG planning office. For two reasons: firstly, there are several design planning obligations in the area, secondly, different owners are involved and therefore different interests and needs are included in the planning. It must also be taken into account that Ferrum would like to turn its buildings into living space, among other things.
Opinions in the audience were divided. From skepticism about the uniformity that could arise to the support to check the whole thing at least once. In fact, everyone seemed to agree on one thing: Rupperswil really needs a shop. In order to make that possible, said one citizen, the basics would have to be created – for example a design plan.
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