2018-07-13 - “No to Marc Iochum’s project”. Have your say.
Thanks a lot Tim for the english version.
Express your opposition to the planned “new tourist unit” (Unité touristique nouvelle - UTN) involving the extension of the Serveray sports and recreation park at Arâches la Frasse. We are deeply concerned about these plans, which will damage the resorts of Les Carroz and Flaine.
The name of this project, on the commons of Les Carroz (Pierre à Laya), carefully avoids the words “golf course”, but that is the main problem for Les Carroz and Flaine.
See also for more details 2018-07-12-Public enquiry into the planned “new tourist unit” for the extension of the leisure zone.
and the association’s poster about the public enquiry, with the Arâches opposition councillors .
The councillors are ahead of us, because they have been given a copy of the file and can talk about all the details. We will have the file on Monday.
The public enquiry runs from 16 July to 24 August 2018.
From 16 July, the UTN file will be available for consultation at the Arâches town hall, and for downloading (it runs to more than 500 pages).
We will analyse it closely, but we already have some information from the public meetings about the PADD (sustainable development plan) and the PLU (local urban development plan).
The opposition councillors already have a copy of the document and have drawn very negative conclusions.
https://opposition-aracheslafrasse.jimdo.com
This site is updated from time to time. The first week’s home page was viewed by 10 000 people in the space of a couple of days. Readers shared the link, it is a real upswell of opinion.
It also contains comments on all the projects, with 2 pages on the planned golf course https://opposition-aracheslafrasse....
You can find more information here
- Site of the Association Flainoise http://associationflainoise.fr
- english Home http://associationflainoise.fr/?lang=en
- 2018-07-12-Public enquiry into the planned “new tourist unit” for the extension of the leisure zone.
- Film by Patrick Gabarrou on Youtube https://youtu.be/5clJRceXoNo
- Film by Bertrand Decret on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecm...
These two films have French subtitles which can be displayed and even translated by Google! - Amoureux des Carroz Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lesamoureu...
- Petition on Change.org (2000 signatures against the Les Carroz golf course. https://www.change.org/p/conseil-mu...
- “Citoyens d’Arâches” Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/citoyensda...
The aberrations of the UTN project
Some comments on the project, based on what we know today, to be updated next week:
- The commons of Les Carroz is a natural area which should be protected because of its fauna, its flora, its geography, its legend. Moreover, it is open to everyone in the commune (formerly common pasturage).
- Cross-country skiing was abandoned in Les Carroz some 15 or 20 years ago because of the limited snow cover. The idea of redeveloping it 100m lower down is silly, especially as the climate at the top of the Pierre à Laya cliff has become more Mediterranean (as noted by Patrick Gabarrou).
- Shared use of a confined space by ramblers, mountain bikers, horse riders, and golfers is absurd. The non-golfers would have to be protected by 2.5 metre high walls or fences (so much for nature!), and the noise they make would disturb the golfers. Not to mention the conflicts between mountain bikers and ramblers.
- The argument “in winter, if there is snow, people will go cross-country skiing do biathlons, go for snowshoe walks and go sledding across the golf course, if there is no snow they will go walking or mountain biking across the golf course”, appears entirely specious to us. In winter or spring there is always a period of freeze/thaw conditions unsuitable for either winter or summer sports, and at an altitude of 1000 m this period lasts for virtually the whole winter. Will the barriers protecting the paths be removed in winter?
- For Marc Iochum there is, of course, a major building element: a four-star hotel, a shop, driving ranges, and a large club house which will manage access to Flaine’s nine-hole golf course. Compared with the PADD, the PLU has changed in that it has dropped all mention of closing the driving ranges and club house in Flaine, because it too will be covered by a UTN. First the nine-hole golf course at Flaine will be closed, new buildings will replace the driving ranges and the club house, the nine remaining holes will be closed down because they are underused (no driving range, club house situated at Les Carroz ?),
Planned next steps
- Closure of the Flaine golf course, not announced but inevitable as a result of what has been announced (reduction to 9 holes, no club house and no driving range, site managed by the club house down in Les Carroz),
- construction on the Arbaron, an area which should be conserved,
- reduction of the cross-country skiing and snowshoe courses at the col de Pierre Carrée and on the Arbaron in the winter, as a result of the new buildings.
How to take part
The important thing is to go and enter your comments on the register in the town hall. For your opinion to be taken into account, state the reasons for your opposition to the UTN project; you also have to add your surname, first name, and address, and sign.
If you are not able to come to the town hall, send us a message containing your opinion on the project, together with your name, first name, address and original signature. We will ensure that your opinion is entered in the register of the public enquiry.
Please send your opinions to us by post at the following address:
Association Flainoise
, Pollux 407, Flaine Forêt, 74300 Arâches
The administration will not consider opinions submitted by email, and it is uncertain whether copies of documents will be accepted. To avoid uncertainty, hand in or send us a document with an original signature.
If you hand your opinion in at the town hall, we would be pleased to receive a copy.
Any adult can express an opinion, including people in the same family, your opinions can be complementary.
We attach an example of a response.
Share this information by all possible means (word of mouth, email, Facebook, etc.) and collect as much feedback as you can from those who are unable to come in person to the town hall, we will add them on the register. Consult our website regularly, videos of interviews with people affected by this project have been or will be posted. The first, already on line, is by Patrick Gabarrou, the well-known mountain guide and illustrious mountaineer. Don’t forget to “like” the Facebook pages.
It is between 16 July and 24 August that you must act! After that it will be too late.
We must at all costs:
- preserve the only remaining natural area at Les Carroz within the resort;
- keep the commons open for everyone, as a place of tranquility;
- avoid a mammoth project which will have an impact on the commune’s finances, and which is based on a distorted vision of the economy of Les Carroz (repeated references to the principles of a “mountain economy”, “running the commune like a business” and “diversification ” doesn’t make them any more credible);
- avoid the closure of the Flaine golf course which will follow, and the urbanisation of the Arbaron, a planned disaster.
Together we can put a stop to these projects
Radio silence at Arâches town hall. Article in le dauphiné newspaper:
Attached documents
Affiche Flyer
Affiche Association et Elus de l’opposition
Formulaire cadre de réponse à l’enquête publique
Regis Lardennois
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