European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 17, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday. September 17, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 9 Over Here Wurzburg mayor seeks to relocate 3 . Caverns by John Millar Wal Ryburg Bureau Wurzburg. West Germany Hindenburg Ca sern is a hulking collection of pc world War ii build Ings tucked behind a Concrete Wall in Wurzburg s residential Zol Crau District. Across the Street visible through its Chain link Fence is a . Army depot where piles of tires and parts and other quartermaster Bric a Brac rest on untidy rows of wooden pallets. On a recent late summer Day soldiers were adding to the piles from the Back of a tractor trailer their portable stereo leaking rhythmic thumps from the truck s cab. Cavern and depot and soldiers. It s a scene Wiir Burg mayor Klaus Zeiller would like removed from the heart of his baroque City on the main River. The main targets of Cit scr s Campaign mounted largely in speeches and interviews Are the army three caverns in the City Hindenburg and its depot As Well As Emery Barracks and Faulenburg Cavern. A Ciller 59, wants the caverns closed and relocated to the Eastern Edge of the City toward the military sub Community of killing in. Home to two caverns and a military housing area. Kitzinger lies about 10 Miles Southeast of Wurzburg. Pc Ijler the City s mayor for the last 20 years has told his constituents that the land occupied by Hindon Burg and Faulenburg caverns would be Well suited for housing and recreational facilities and that the area on which Limery Barracks sits would be a Welcome Addi Tion to the City s crowded Industrial area. The mayor who is seeking another term in elections set for March 18, told the stars and stripes that mov ing the american facilities would be in the interest of the City s residents to make Way for improvements in residential  but. He stressed the proposed move also would Benefit the . Military by grouping troops near  in. The shortening of the roads is in the interest of the american armed forces he said adding that the move not Only would improve the infrastructure for the . Army but also would improve Contact with the militia. In the kit Zingen area. The . Military also is interested in relocating the facilities closer to kit Zingen. Cit scr said. For its part the army in t saying much. Local com Manders refused to comment on the proposal because it is a political matter. The Only official response came from a Usa eur spokeswoman staff sgt. Elayne pc Nama who said the mayor s plan must first be considered by the West German government s land assets finance and other departments. The army would be Happy to evaluate and discuss the mayor s proposal once submitted through the proper  pc Nama said. Citler appears to have the most problems with Hin Denburg Cavern which does t live up to the latest standards or to ideals for building in the City the mayor said. He said dissatisfaction with the Cavern is nothing new. The problem of moving Hindenburg Cavern has been discussed with All of the Federal defense ministers in Bonn Over the last 20 years and with other responsible West German Federal  As yet there have been no practical solutions be cause requirements placed on the move by the West German government have been difficult to  one requirement Likely would involve building a new Cavern for the displaced american troops a project that could Cost As much As 100 million Marks according to some estimates. Zeiller thinks the City could get 50 million Marks about half what is needed by Selling the land occupied by the three caverns. Although Citler charges that the bases Are unsightly a Lour of Zelle Rau reveals that the caverns Are architecturally similar in some cases almost identical to the buildings around them. A West German plumbing company storage Yard in the area is no More unsightly than the army Supply depot. And at least some residents argue that their prob lems with the americans arc not serious enough to require action As Radical As Zeitler s proposal. One woman who has lived across from the depot for 30 years bemoaned the shortage of parking spaces caused by the presence of so Many cars belonging to . Soldiers. When my husband comes Home from work he always has to Gripe about  she said adding that Large trucks Block the entire Street for Long periods. A woman living in the apartment building across from the storage site said she had no complaints. When it gets Loo loud i close my door she said adding that newspaper accounts of the mayor s Initia Tives Are the Only objections to the Cavern she s heard. Other residents said loud music booming from the Cavern s club Laic at night fistfights on paydays and vandalism to neighbourhood vehicles arc All part of living with the army. And they agreed that none of the irritants warrants evicting the army from the posts. As one put it it s not so bad we can live with  contributing to this report stall writer Joseph Owen ass John Minar War no Raj s Fortiss at Marien birr overlooks ocl Crau and the vehicles parked at a Lindenburg Cavern. Ass John my although divided by a Street and a Fence a building on Hindenburg Cavern left and one across the Street in the residential District of Zelle Rau Are not divided in appearance