Residents' meeting on 11 May 2023
for the entire city area in the town hall
On 11 May, all residents of Chemnitz were invited to the town hall to take part in the residents' meeting.
Mayor Sven Schulze, the mayoress and the mayors provided information on current developments and key projects in the first part of the event. Afterwards, the approximately 100 participants had the opportunity to address their concerns to the employees of the City of Chemnitz. In addition, contact persons from the European Capital of Culture 2025 GmbH, the Chemnitz transport company, the ASR and the citizens' platforms were on hand to answer questions. In addition to the talks on offer, over 60 young and old interested parties took part in guided tours of the town hall before and after the event.
In future, there are plans to organise two residents' meetings per year for the entire city area. The next residents' assembly is scheduled for 16 November 2023.
Presentation of the event
In the first part, the city provided information on current developments and key projects. The presentation shown in the city council chamber is available for download here.
Photos of the residents' meeting on 11 May 2023
Background residents' meetings
In future, we plan to offer two residents' meetings per year for the entire city area and make them more attractive in order to reach and inform as many people as possible.
We are therefore giving all citizens and stakeholders plenty of space to express their wishes, suggestions and constructive criticism. Feedback is therefore very welcome so that we can prepare for the next residents' assembly in the autumn.
Extract from the questions and answers at the residents' meeting on 11 May
Green space / former playground on Rößlerstraße: can table tennis tables be erected there?
The green space/playground Stadtpark is located in the immediate flood zone of the Chemnitz (also a listed building), and only the "flow-through" climbing frame may be erected here. Unfortunately, other installations are not permitted there. The Lebenshilfe integration playground on Rößlerstraße is not run by the local authority.
Wittgensdorfer Straße before the bridge over the A4 motorway: Should trees be planted there again or will the road be widened without trees at the narrowings?
Wittgensdorfer Straße was renewed about 6 years ago. The narrowings in the section mentioned were nevertheless retained as they serve to calm traffic. Trees have already been planted on the section from Auerswalder Straße to Geschwister-Scholl-Straße. No further tree planting is planned on the named section of Wittgensdorfer Straße as the locations are not suitable for traffic and trees. However, the areas in question are still to be planted (no trees).
Gablenzplatz / CVAG/city construction project: Can benches be installed again in the green areas along the cycle path?
No benches can be placed on the cycle path at Gablenzplatz, but it might be possible on the footpath between the bus stop and the traffic lights at Augustusburger Straße/Geibelstraße. The green corridor is currently being used by CVAG for the renovation of the railway line. It is proposed that the green corridor be considered in its entirety with regard to bench locations once the entire track renovation has been completed.
Former RAW site (Reichsbahn repair works): Could a public road be built across the site to reduce traffic on Frankenberger Straße?
The areas mentioned are not owned by the City of Chemnitz. There are legally binding development plans for some sub-areas (solar plant) and others are in the process of being drawn up (commercial / industrial site). From a transport planning perspective, a road can be built across this entire area in the long term.
Gablenzplatz / CVAG/city construction project: The surface of the cycle path is very rough and stony. Should it stay like this or will it be reworked?
The cycle path has been completed and consists of a water-permeable surface.
Condition of Max-Schäller-Straße: With the development of the Morgenleite park as an intervention area for the Capital of Culture, the poor condition of Max-Schäller-Straße is coming into focus. This is also the access road to a senior citizens' residential complex and ambulances are often required on this road. Is it possible to renovate the road in the long term? Or is at least a solution similar to the variant implemented on Max-Müller-Straße at the time conceivable: the road was filled with gravel, which was then hardened through use.
Max-Schäller-Straße has already been categorised for renewal. As part of the planning, there was a need for coordination on the part of the wastewater disposal company ESC. Due to other planned construction measures in the surrounding area, the events as part of the Capital of Culture year 2025 and depending on the City of Chemnitz's budget planning, the construction project is currently scheduled for 2026. Until then, accident hazards will be regularly eliminated as part of the traffic safety obligation.
Noise pollution on Hechlerstraße: Unevenness on the carriageway causes noise pollution. In connection with the Hechlerstraße/Ludwigstraße construction project currently underway, it was requested that the transitions from the new carriageway surface to the existing carriageway be constructed in a technically correct manner in order to avoid unevenness as a source of noise.
As part of the Ludwigstraße construction project, the Hechlerstraße junction was extensively renewed. This has eliminated the unevenness and noise pollution.
School route safety on Obere Hauptstraße/Chemnitzer Straße (Wittgensdorf primary school): The Wittgensdorf primary school support association is asking for the route to school on Obere Hauptstraße/Chemnitzer Straße (Wittgensdorf) to be checked. When turning into the road, vehicles disregard the priority of pedestrians at the signalised pedestrian crossing on Obere Hauptstraße. Dangerous situations have arisen on several occasions. It was also suggested that the "Safe route to school" poster be put up on Obere Haupstraße opposite Chemnitzer Straße at Netto when school starts, as it is more visible there.
We would like to thank you for the information you have provided regarding safety on the way to school. The traffic authority has not yet received any information on this matter.
In order to deal with your concerns appropriately and to find possible solutions, the case will be passed on to the responsible traffic control department for examination of the traffic light system and its switching. In co-operation with the experts from this department, the current conditions will be reviewed and, if necessary, adjustments will be made to improve pedestrian safety at the crossing in question. We would also like to inform you that the matter will be discussed with the public order office and the police at the next school crossing safety working group on 27 June 2023. This is because the presence of the police could have a positive effect on compliance with traffic and priority rules, as this would allow monitoring to take place and offences to be punished appropriately. We are endeavouring to ensure the safety of all road users through these measures and to find an appropriate solution to the problem.
Furthermore, we recommend that the exact location of the banner be determined in consultation with the Chemnitz Police Department or the Chemnitz Traffic Watch. This action is not the responsibility of the traffic authority.
Car park situation and school route safety Max-Türpe-Straße/Albert-Einstein-Grundschule: Is it possible to implement the compromise solution to the car park situation/improvement of school route safety at Max-Türpe-Straße/Albert-Einstein-Grundschule that has been proposed several times over the long term? The Citizens' Platform and local residents had jointly proposed the following: instead of the current longitudinal arrangement of the parking spaces, an arrangement for parking at an angle forwards should be implemented. On the one hand, this would create more parking space and, on the other hand, drivers would not be able to reverse out onto the footpath and thus cause the exact situation/hazard that led to the change in the parking regulations.
Together with the traffic authority, a concept was drawn up on how to improve school route safety in the affected area of the footpath. In addition, the relevant utility companies were asked whether there was any need for media renewals. This is not the case. We are aiming to carry out the conversion and renovation work in accordance with the aforementioned concept during the summer or autumn holidays. However, this depends on the capacities of the construction companies bound by the framework contract and unfortunately cannot be guaranteed at present.
Car park situation and school route safety Max-Türpe-Straße/Albert-Einstein-Grundschule: Has the possibility of repairing the crumbling kerb or lowering the kerb edge already been examined? In the course of this, it should also be checked whether a completely new pavement can be built (construction in the second quarter of 2023 at the earliest). Are there any new developments in this regard?
We are aiming to carry out the conversion and renovation work during the summer or autumn holidays in line with the concept mentioned. However, this depends on the capacities of the construction companies bound by the framework contract and unfortunately cannot be guaranteed at present.
Hilbersdorf railway station: Request to the city and Deutsche Bahn (DB) to construct barrier-free access at this location.
The Hilbersdorf railway station and the access routes to it are not owned by the City of Chemnitz, so there is no direct scope for design. The City of Chemnitz repeatedly encourages DB and DB Station & Service (infrastructure owners) as well as the VMS (public transport authority and customer) to make all railway stations barrier-free. Unfortunately, the City of Chemnitz cannot formulate an obligation to do so.
Sonnenberg, Hainstraße / Lessingstraße junction: A construction fence has been up against a private building for two years. What happens next, can the city have the construction fence removed?
The authorities do not have the legal basis to oblige building owners to implement their planning permission. There is a traffic order for the fence until the end of July 2023 for the construction work on the building at Hainstraße 92. Due to the construction standstill, the representative of the building owner was asked about the current status.
What will happen to the Kappel residential hotel? According to residents' observations, construction work is currently on hold.
A building application for the "renovation and extension of a prefabricated building site" (barrier-free living) has been submitted to the planning permission office but has not yet been checked and approved due to incompleteness. A visualisation of the project can be viewed at "https://www.qoopp.de/haydnstr".
The authorities do not have the legal basis to oblige developers to implement their planning permission, nor can they demand the completion of a building project. According to the law, construction work may not be suspended for longer than 2 years in order to continue to be able to make use of a building permit that has been granted. The construction fence presumably serves to secure the construction site against unauthorised access.
E-scooters in public spaces: What is being done about e-scooters parked arbitrarily in public spaces? To what extent will the city administration of Chemnitz take measures to reduce/avoid the danger to pedestrians caused by e-scooters parked haphazardly or obstructing public spaces?
The city administration is working on a concept to organise shared forms of mobility (e-scooters, e-scooters, rental bikes (where available)) in defined parking spaces and to replace the existing free-floating system. The conceptual preparatory work is well advanced, and the aim is to refer the matter to the city council in the second half of 2023, with
implementation immediately afterwards.
Illegal graffiti: A citizen reported illegal graffiti on Bierbrücke, Karl-Schmidt-Rottluff-Brücke and Fabrikstraße.
Thank you for the tip. We are looking into it.