2024-07-22 02:25:41
MERANO. A letter from theTourist company signed by the vice president Monica Marabese to ask the municipal administration and the Gardeners to prune the uncultivated flowerbed that welcomes citizens and tourists at the beginning of the Summer Walk near Ponte della Posta, but also in the avenue of Via Wolf and at the roundabout of Via Goethe.
The image is that of the horse by Aligi Sassu (donated by Unire, the central body that for a long time governed horse racing, from Merano Maia Spa in 1989 to the city of Merano) that almost seems to touch with its hooves the grass as tall as an average-sized person. An apparently uncultivated flowerbed in front of which several tourists stop to ask themselves how this is possible in Merano, which makes green care an international pride.
Different perspectives.
For Zeller it is about biodiversity, for the Company it is just an uncultivated flowerbed. To be honest, there is also the issue of the cardboard boxes deposited weekly on Wednesdays which in height reach the hooves of the beautiful horse of Sassu. For this reason, Marabese recently wrote to the deputy mayor Katharina Zeller asking for urgent intervention. The vice president of the trust wrote: «There is a question of growing concern. In recent months we have observed an uncontrolled growth of plants in several flowerbeds, a situation that is becoming increasingly problematic. If on the one hand we understand and appreciate the importance of biodiversity and the need to preserve the natural balance – Marabese specifies – on the other it is essential that this biodiversity is managed appropriately and does not represent a discomfort for citizens», the position taken by the Tourist Board. Marabese continues: «It has been reported that the exuberant growth of plants in the vicinity of some premises is creating considerable inconvenience. These inconveniences not only compromise the urban aesthetics, but also have a negative impact on the operation of the premises themselves, limiting access, visibility and negatively influencing the experience of customers, tourists and Merano residents”, Marabese concludes. The request to Zeller, who is inclined to maintain biodiversity in the flowerbed under the Sassu horse, is for immediate intervention in the three areas indicated above with particular attention to the flowerbed in the very centre of the city. “We ask for regular pruning and maintenance operations”, Marabese concludes in his letter to the administration. Furthermore, some local traders report, the uncultivated flowerbed immediately after Ponte della Posta would be the cause of a proliferation of insects and even rats that would hide inside in the thick meshes drawn by the tall grass.
Aesthetics and sustainability.
So, Zeller’s reply: «The discussion on sustainability and making the city livable is one thing, but beautiful flowerbeds have no ecological value, therefore biodiversity, while these apparently uncultivated ones do», begins the deputy mayor who specifies: «We had received criticism for the presence of little vegetation in spring, so we inserted more bulbs to have better flowering. We are working on sustainability but at the same time we listen to every point of view, so much so that we will hear a hygiene expert to understand if there really is a proliferation of insects and rats that is causing concern, considering that where there is greenery, this type of fauna also develops», concludes Zeller.
2024-07-22 02:25:41