Ara Damansara

Published in The Star Metro on 12-August

Thank you the group who represented Ara Damansara and for getting the press and political representatives involved!

RESIDENTS of Ara Damansara in Petaling Jaya are protesting against a proposed multi-storey development in their area.

The project in Jalan PJU1A/20 consists of two 11-storey and 13-storey commercial buildings, two levels of retail space, three 14-storey service apartments and three floors of basement parking.

About 15 residents and 10 representatives from developer Villamas Sdn Bhd attended a public hearing recently at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) headquarters in Jalan Yong Shook Lin.

Councillor Tiew Way Keng chaired the meeting and among those who attended were Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah and Kota Damansara assemblyman Dr Nasir Hashim.

MBPJ town planning department technical assistant Kamariah Yahya said the council received the application on May 11.

“A notice was put up in June to inform residents of the development but we did not receive any formal objections. However, we received a letter in July with more than 400 signatures objecting to the project,” she said.

The concerns highlighted by the residents were traffic congestion; the safety of having a high-density project near a petrol station and in close proximity of the Subang airport; the risk of abandonment like the Platinum condominium project; and the increased risk of flooding in the neighbourhood.

Kamariah said the plans submitted by the developer did not comply to certain guidelines like the 25% instead of the required 30% of space allocated for landscape; the number of parking lots was short by 57; and the plot ratio was above the allowable 1:4 (land area to built-up area).

The project’s architect Dr Tan Loke Mun said the project was built above the river level and was not at risk of flooding.

He also said the development did not encroach onto any river or drain reserve.

The developer’s traffic consultant then went on to brief residents and the officers on the Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) study done on the area.

Residents were not satisfied with the report because it only concentrated on the roads around the development but did not look at the traffic dispersal in and out of Ara Damansara and did not take into account the other developments that were coming up in the area.

Villamas managing director Gan Teck Seong also presented a portfolio of the company to assure residents that they were committed to completing the project.

Since the project is near the river, Sivarasa asked if the building design was strong enough and why there were no reports from the Drainage and Irrigation Department (JPS).

Tan said they had complied to the 20ft setback required by the JPS.

Resident C.P. Lim was also allowed to present the residents’ views and why they were against a high-density development.

Sivarasa reminded the developers that even though the Petaling Jaya Draft Plan 2 (RTPJ2) allowed for a plot ratio of 1:4 , the plan has not been gazetted.

“You also have to see the reality of the situation and how much you can build by looking at the area as a whole. As it is, your current plans don’t even comply.

“Twenty years ago, developers built two- to four-storey shoplots and made a profit. Why is it now that developers have to build multi-storey buildings to make money?” asked Sivarasa.

It was decided at the meeting that the developer would be given two weeks to submit a fresh application that complied with the guidelines and residents should be provided with information like the TIA and building plans so that they could study the proposal.

Tiew tentatively fixed Sept 20 for a second hearing on the project.