Geneva development –
A referendum launches the electoral campaign in Onex
The right-wing parties oppose the acquisition by the municipality of a plot worth nearly two million.
Published today at 2:30 p.m.
The Onesian Deliberative met urgently on Thursday in the Municipal Council room (above) to vote on the acquisition of a plot.
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- The Onex Municipal Council voted to purchase a parcel last Thursday.
- A right-wing coalition is launching a referendum against this acquisition.
- The referendums criticize the absence of a concrete project for this plot.
- Mayor Maryam Yunus Ebener considers this purchase important for the municipality.
Last Thursday, the Onex Municipal Council met urgently for an extraordinary session. The only item on the agenda: the use of the municipal right of pre-emption to acquire a plot for an amount of 1.960 million francs. The Executive’s proposal was accepted by 9 votes (PS and Greens) against 6 (PLR, ECHO Vert’lib and MCG).
However, five days after this vote, the “Geneva Tribune” learned that a coalition of right-wing parties, formed for the occasion, and bringing together the ECHO Vert’lib party and the Onesian sections of the PLR, the MCG, the UDC and the Center, launched a referendum against this purchase.
Municipal councilor Nathalie Keller, representative of the referendum, denounces a lack of concrete project from the Executive on this plot and recalls that the financial situation of Onex is delicate.
Shops and housing
She emphasizes that the plot in question, located at chemin du Pré-Longet 2, is located in a localized neighborhood plan in force. “The latter is forced to erect, along the Route de Chancy, a building comprising 70% activities and 30% housing,” she explains. However, we do not even know if a municipality can use its right of pre-emption to acquire a plot of land essentially intended for activities and not for housing.”
For the mayor, Maryam Yunus Ebenerthis acquisition is essential so that the municipality can be involved in the development of this future district: “It is very important that we can have our say on the typologies of future housing, on the commercial activities that we want, as well as exterior fittings. This is the best way to proceed so that the interests of the inhabitants of the municipality are guaranteed.”
Legal uncertainty
She confirms that the Town Hall does not know if the use of the right of pre-emption will be accepted in this specific context: “This is precisely an opportunity for us to find out if we can pre-empt in this type of conditions. We have nothing to lose by trying anyway.”
Referendae will take advantage of the launch of the electoral campaign to try to collect the 676 signatures necessary in forty days.
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Caroline Zumbach is a journalist in the local section of the Tribune de Genève. She obtained a Master’s degree in international relations.More info
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