PROPOSAL: The City Hall notice outside Lot 124, currently utilised as a private car park in Bukit Ceylon

RESIDENTS of Menara Bukit Ceylon are hoping that City Hall will not approve a 27-storey service apartment project next to their condominium.

On learning of the proposed development via City Hall’s notice in two local dailies recently, the residents claim that the project proposed by Eminent Ace Sdn Bhd does not meet the required guidelines as stipulated in the Kuala Lumpur Development Control Plan 2008 (KLDCP 2008).

In their objection letter to City Hall dated Nov 9, the condo’s joint management body (JMB) pointed out several
alleged indiscrepancies in the developer’s building plans.

“Under the KLDCP 2008, Jalan Ceylon is categorised as a residential zone but service apartments are categorised under commercial land use,” JMB spokesman, Stephen Francis, told Malay Mail.

“Jalan Ceylon is congested enough as it is. Not only the narrow road is a popular short cut for vehicles heading
towards Pudu from Jalan Raja Chulan, but the popularity of nearby Changkat Bukit Bintang as an entertainment and dining area has caused congestion resulting in illegal roadside parking, illegal parking on pedestrian footpaths, traffic obstruction and overall damage to the livability of the neighbourhood,” said Francis, adding that the congestion would worsen if ample parking spaces was not provided for the proposed service apartments.

It was learnt that the suggested project would comprise 209 units, four levels of podium parking and two levels of basement parking. The KLDCP 2008 also outlines that developments of service apartments are prohibited
altogether in residential zones.

“Prohibited uses are clearly specified under the KLDCP 2008 so that the character of a place can be preserved. City Hall should not approve proposals that intend to change the land use to put in place a building that is specifically prohibited by the original land use in the first place,” said Francis.

An industry expert who did not want to be named told Malay Mail that changing the land use from residential to commercial and from apartments to service apartments was a common tactic used by developers to build more units but reduce the number of parking bays required.

Other alleged irregularities in the developer’s plans adduced by the JMB include concerns on road surrender, building setback and the proposed development intensity of an 8.0 plot ratio, that apparently exceeds the maximum allowable plot ratio of 5 for residential zones.

A spokesman from Eminent Ace Sdn Bhd said the proposed project was targeted at overseas buyers, particularly from Singapore and Hong Kong.

“The service apartments are for owner-occupancy. We opted to build service apartments because the term condominiums would not entice high-end buyers, who would require additional services such as housekeeping,” the spokesman said.

He added that if all went well, the company plans to start construction by the first half of next year. A spokesman from City Hall Town and Planning Department clarified that it had received the objection letter from the JMB and was looking into the matter.

“Although we have received the proposal from the developer, no decision has been made whether to approve or dismiss the project. The deadline for objections from residents is Nov 27. Even the KLDCP 2008 is not finalised yet, therefore we are still able to negotiate with the public on such matters,” the spokesman said.

However, he said, the project proposal will be scrutinised, adding that 100 per cent parking bays are necessary if the developer aimed to make the service apartments for long-term tenancy.