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Almost a hundred people attended the digital meeting where the future of the Arctic Center was decided.
There were two suggestions on the table:
- No to plans.
- Yes, but subject to improvement.
After a meeting lasting several hours, the party voted against plans to build a rural village and a ski resort in Kvaløya, on the outskirts of Tromsø.
The majority was cast by 44 to 33 votes.
Tromsø Mayor Gunnar Wilhelmsen (Labor Party) was not present during the meeting. He has invested several million crowns in the project and is therefore incompetent in the case.
INVESTOR: Gunnar Wilhelmsen is the second largest investor in the Arctic Center and owns 29.75 percent of the company’s shares. He is declared incompetent.
Photo: Anja AT Brekke / NRK
Steile fronts
The Arctic Center has created a huge gap, both between the majority of the people and in the Labor Party. The disagreement is over what to emphasize, industry or nature conservation.
The tourism industry believes that the facility will be very favorable to the winter destination of Tromsø. Opponents believe that consideration for nature, the swamp as a CO collector, outdoor life and reindeer herding are more important.
– My social democratic heart is not in favor of a project that turns a popular outdoor area for many, into a private cabin for a few, said city council politician Tonje Tunstad during the debate.
As Olga Goldfain responds:
– The tourism industry paid 130 million in taxes to the municipality of Tromsø in 2017. As residents, 130 million we benefit greatly. The tourism industry employs more than 4,000 people and 100 new jobs can be created if we say yes to the Arctic Center.
Here’s what Labor leaders said after the Arctic Center vote.
– Today we bounce the bottle of champagne
The organization Preserve Finnheia it has involved several thousand opponents of the project. Tonight, initiator Iver Martens celebrates.
– I’m positively surprised. Reason has triumphed again. All the good case information we’ve provided has been heard, says Martens.
He believes that the opposition to the Arctic Center is greater than we think. Almost 4,000 people have actively participated in the development plans.
But the final result will not arrive until Wednesday.
– This is what we needed to ensure a no, but the municipal council has not yet been. We can bounce the small bottle of champagne, but not the big one, Martens.
Supports wallpaper
LONG PROCESS: Jarle Heitmann, group leader of the Labor Party, believes that the long process can be even longer.
Photo: Lars Egil Mogård / NRK
The group’s own leader, Jarle Heitmann, advocated saying yes to the proposal, subject to improvements. On Thursday night he lost the vote.
– We have had many difficult debates over many decades. As long as we have a good process, we can tolerate debate in the Labor Party, we will also move forward. We can do the same in this case.
Decided on Wednesday
In reality, the plan was shelved after the city council voted yes to the alpine facility, but not to the roughly 340 cabins that will fund the facility.
Three weeks later, it was decided that the case should be re-examined because a mistake had been made during the process.
On Wednesday of next week, the case will be examined by the municipal council. Then the final decision is made. The Labor Party’s decision will apparently secure a majority to reject the plan to build the Arctic Center.
THE PLAN: The plan of the area shows 6 lifts, 13 slopes with a total of 20 kilometers of alpine skiing, hotels with spas and just over 340 cabins to sell in the private market.
Illustration: Arctic Center
