Kiel's city council has rejected proposals for a referendum on selling the former MFG-5 site in Holtenau-Ost. An information campaign will be launched instead. Negotiations between the city and the Bundeswehr continue.
Negotiations between the city of Kiel and the Bundeswehr over the sale of the 90-hectare former MFG-5 site in Holtenau-Ost, between Holtenau and Friedrichsort, are ongoing, with a result expected soon. The city council debated a potential citizen referendum to let residents decide on the sale—for housing or naval use. Die Linke/Die Partei faction pushed for it. “The sale of the former MFG-5 site is by no means the only option,” said faction leader Björn Thoroe. “Kiel urgently needs housing space, and no area is better suited than the former MFG-5 site. The people of our city should decide whether we want a navy or social housing.” He believed a federal expropriation lawsuit was unlikely due to cost and time. The Green-Red coalition rejected it, favoring an information campaign with public events. “Care must be taken to explain the content understandably to the broad public,” said Louisa Wiethold (Greens). Arne Langniß (Greens) added: “We don't know how the negotiations will turn out, so the motion is premature.” SPD councilor Volkhard Hanns called it painful that the site is unavailable for housing but urged finding alternatives and opposed the referendum: “The outcome would be incalculable, as decisions would not be rational.” CDU's Antonia Grage stressed: “Our citizen referendum is the local election, held every five years.” The SSW supported the idea in principle but filed its own motion for a vote after negotiations; leader Marcel Schmidt praised Mayor Ulf Kämpfert. Proposals from Die Linke/Die Partei and SSW were rejected by a large majority; the cooperation motion for the information campaign was approved.
