Residents want development proposals to be consistent
PETALING Jaya residents do not want the local council to rush to get the draft Petaling Jaya Local Plan 2 (RTPJ2) gazetted before the Special Area Plan (RKK) is ready.
The Petaling Jaya City Council’s planning department said amendments can still be made to the plan after it had been gazetted, however residents think it should not be done in haste especially when the RKK is due to be unveiled in December.
Some wonder why the rush since the draft plan drew a lot of flak, gazetting it now would lead to complications if any part of the content differs from RKK, the plan meant to complement RTPJ2 and would be given priority as it is more up-to-date.
“You cannot rush to gazette RTPJ2 just because it has been there for too long, things have changed now,” said All Petaling Jaya Residents’ Association chairman Johan Tung Abdullah.
“Residents were concerned that plans proposed in RTPJ2 might be too much of the city to bear and that the proposed infrastructure might not be sufficient to cater to the development allowed under the proposed plot ratio.
“It was why RKK was drafted and consultants were appointed, so why rush to gazette the plan before absorbing input from RKK?” he asked.
He added that residents hoped RKK would be consistent with the National Physical Plan, which had to be reviewed every five years according to the Town and Country Planning Act.
Federal Development coordinator for Petaling Jaya Utara Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou said the council should delay gazetting RTPJ2 for a few months so it would be in sync with RKK that focused on special areas deemed the ‘Golden Triangle’ of the city.
“RKK is part of urban renewal and the two plans must go hand in hand, the council should wait for RKK to be ready,” he said.
Coordinator for Petaling Jaya Selatan Kelvin Chong felt gazetting RTPJ2 now without including RKK’s findings would not be in line with Local Agenda 21.
“The council under the Barisan Nasional administration did not gazette the plan during its terms because we wanted to hear the views of the people under the spirit of Local Agenda 21, why can’t the council do the same now?” he asked.
Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San said he was disappointed elected leaders were not updated about the development of local plans, and thus could not comment.
MBPJ councillor Derek Fernandez also felt it would be safer not to gazette RTPJ2 until the RKK is completed as it would give rise to legal, business and economic complications in the event of an inconsistency.
“I believe RTPJ2 may be over ambitious in its assumptions and I do not believe the infrastructure can sustain the maximum density proposed, I believe the results of RKK, if properly done, will show this,” he said.
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