Five years ago, the municipality of Heemstede received a donation of no less than 500,000 euros from Gerrit Bids, to do something nice with it for the beloved hiking forest Groenendaal. Now the municipality is faced with that generous gift: should money be added or should the money be returned? Heemstede resident Pim Prins thinks he has a solution for the political dilemma.
It is a short walk from the windmill at the entrance of the Groenendaal hiking forest in Heemstede to the Belvedère Hill. A short climb leads us to the top of the knoll. “When I was little, there was a watchtower here,” says Heemstede resident Pim Prins. “But it had not been used for some time, because the thing was dilapidated. The city council did not want to pay for the renovation, so the watchtower was demolished in 1965.”
Nice view
Prins is one of the ‘pub bosses’ of the facebook group Political Café Heemstede. He closely follows developments in local politics, including the Belvedère issue. That word comes from Italian and means ‘beautiful view’. For example, higher places where you can look out over the surroundings were often mentioned. And so was the lookout tower in the forest, which was built in 1839 to the design of architect John Thomas Hitchcock.
Pim Prins grew up in Groenendaal. “Everyone in Heemstede knows it here. This is the place where as a child you slid down with your sled when it had snowed. It really is a striking place.”
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Efteling tower
It is certainly a striking place. We sit comfortably on a large tree trunk, hear the birds chirping and we greet passers-by who are walking their dogs.
“It doesn’t have to be better here than it is now, does it?” Prins wonders aloud. “Certainly not with such an Efteling tower, from which you still cannot see over the trees at a height of ten meters. It is a completely failed project.”
And that brings us to the thorny issue in Heemstede politics: what to do with half a million? In 2002, Gerrit Bids reported to the municipality. Just like his sister, he had good childhood memories of the Groenendaal hiking forest, says Prins. “They wanted to donate money to do something fun for the park. Maybe some benches or something. But the municipality thought it would be nice to rebuild the Belvedere with the money.”
“The municipality came up with a design competition and from that moment on the thunder started”
The money actually came to the municipality at the end of 2018. Bids signed a deed of donation and transferred half a million euros, also on behalf of his now deceased sister. “As a former resident of Groenendaal, I was very happy with the plan,” says Prins. “I thought the old watchtower would be rebuilt, of course to the standards of the times.”
Design contest
“But someone at the municipality came up with the bright idea of turning it into a design competition. The population was then allowed to choose. The donor did not agree at all. From that moment on, the thunder started.”
The design De Wandeling by KPG Architecten won the competition. Pim Prins: “I also voted for De Wandeling at the time. But Mr. Bids didn’t like it at all. Then the design was adjusted again at his request. It no longer resembles the winning design.”
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Return most expensive option
A large part of the money has already been spent, says Pim Prins: “More than a ton for the design costs. I believe the municipality paid all the architects who participated. A bit strange of course.” Due to the increased construction costs, the remainder is no longer enough to build the tower. So money is needed.
The municipality of Heemstede announced earlier this week that there are now four scenarios for the Belvedere. Still building according to the latest plans would cost the municipality an extra 138,000 euros, two other options are based on a simplified plan. Strangely enough, the most expensive option is to return the entire amount of 500,000 euros to the heirs of brother and sister Bids.
Who burns his buttocks…
“Heemstede then has to pay 30 percent gift tax, which is no less than 150,000 euros in community money, on top of the money that has already been spent,” says Prins. “In the Facebook group someone said that if you burn your bottom, you should sit on the very expensive blisters. I agree with that, actually.”
The Heemstedenaar himself comes up with a fifth plan: “In June I already presented a petition to the council members in which that idea is mentioned. There is still quite a lot of money left over from the donation. Use it to do other nice things for Groenendaal. Memorial benches, a plaque, there are plenty of historical places to point out in the forest. With a little creative thinking, that should work, right?”
“Unfortunately, all scenarios lead to the donation budget being exceeded”
Committee meeting
On September 21, a committee of the Heemstede city council will consider the Belvedère issue and discuss these four scenarios in more detail. “Perhaps I will speak there as a citizen and explain my fifth option again”, Prince sighs. “Alderman Stam doesn’t seem to have picked that up at the time.”
The alderman himself says in a press release from the municipality “Unfortunately, all scenarios lead to the budget of the gift being exceeded. The Executive Board considers it important to have a discussion with the committee in order to carefully take the next step. It is important to understand the ideas and involve the donor’s objective in the final choice.”
It starts raining; time to step up. On the path down, Prince points out a pile of large concrete tiles. “Look, they had apparently already started, those tiles seem to be intended to make a path for the trucks. They have already sawed away treetops here and there. Not that it helps. that high.”
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History of the Belvedere
- 1839: Estate owner Henry Philippe Hope has the Belvedere built to a design by architect John Thomas Hitchcock.
- 1965: The now dilapidated watchtower is being demolished, the municipality does not want to pay the costs for renovation.
- July 2002: Gerrit Bids reports to the municipality of Heemstede. He wants to leave money for the walking forest, partly on behalf of his sister.
- October 2002: Mayor Van der Stroom comes up with the idea of building a new watchtower with the promised donation.
- February 2003: The municipality comes up with a first sketch. Gerrit Bids includes the donation in his will.
- 2018: The sister of Gerrit Bids dies. Bids decides to arrange the gift while still alive.
- December 2018: The donation deed is signed and Bids transfers 500,000 euros to the municipality.
- January 2019: Mayor Nienhuis announces the donation at the New Year’s reception. The municipality organizes a design competition.
- November 2019: The design De Wandeling turned out to be the winner of six designs with 497 of a total of 1198 votes.
- 2020 – 2021: Behind the scenes, heated discussions are taking place between the donor, the municipality and the architect. Bids strongly disagrees with the state of affairs and demands that the plans be adjusted, otherwise the municipality should return the money.
- November 2021: After adjustments, Bids still agrees with the plans.
- April 2022: Schenker Gerrit Bids dies at the age of 102. The municipal council of Heemstede adopts the New Belvedère zoning plan.
- August 2022: Heemstede issues the environmental permit for the construction work.
- May 2023: Construction turns out to be much more expensive than expected. The deficit rises to 170,000 euros. Coalition party VVD now wants to get rid of the plans.
- June 2023: Heemstede resident Pim Prins hands over a petition with 127 signatures against the construction of De Wandeling.
- August 2023: The municipality reports in a press release that there are now four scenarios on the table to continue. In all cases, the donation of 500,000 euros is insufficient.
- September 2023: The council committee discusses the four scenarios. The last word is ultimately up to the city council of Heemstede.