Monday May 25, 2009

Nature’s splendour threatened by project

By THO XIN YI

THE sound of birds chirping and insects buzzing on a cool morning is part of the tranquil surroundings residents at Bayan Hill Homes and Sri Kesidang Apartments in Bandar Puchong Jaya are used to.

Birds, monkeys and wildboar that make the hill their home also make frequent appearances at the neighbourhood.

But residents fear that the days are numbered for this enchanting hilly land and it might have to make way for development.

The development project, a joint-venture between Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) and two other developers, has been planned on a 68.1ha plot of land near the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve.

The plan shows 137 bungalows, 324 semi-deteched houses, one commercial plot and an office site.

Among the main concerns raised by the residents were losing the green lung, increase in traffic congestion, air and noise pollution and the possibility of landslides.

“Currently, there is only one access road, which is Jalan Bayan – the main road for our neighbourhood.

“How will the residents cope with the traffic when heavy vehicles begin using this road to get to the construction site?

“Furthermore, it took us 10 years to establish our security system and, if this road is opened for all, it will cause a lot of problems,” Bayan Hill Homes Residents Association chairman Woo Fook Chin said.

He added that the residents also did not wish to relive the bitter experiences of rock-blasting.

Left vacant: The residents also worry about the effects any construction work would have on their foundation.

“Cracks appeared on the walls of our houses when another developer blasted the hill for development about a decade ago,” he said.

Sri Kesidang Apartment resident Steven Ng echoed his views.

“We wouldn’t know what would happen to the structure and foundation of our homes if the hill is blasted,” he said.

Some apartment residents, who are facing the problem of insufficient parking spaces within the apartment, use the vacant land as a carpark.

The land spans the Kinrara and Sri Serdang state constituencies.

Five apartment complexes along Persiaran Wawasan and Persiaran Indera in Pusat Bandar Puchong – Sri Penaga, D’ Palma, Saraka, Desa Tanjung and Sri Cempaka – are also located right next to the land.

Sri Penaga management corporation committee member Pang Wai Hoong expressed his worries over landslides.

“During downpours, we can see water gushing down the steep slope like a mini-waterfall.

Sweet songs: The land is home for many species of birds.

“What would happen when the hill is being developed and could no longer retain the water?” he asked.

The residents first heard about the project in late 2005 and had forwarded their objections to the relevant parties, including the federal government, the state government and the Subang Jaya Municipal Council.

Former assemblyman for Kinrara Dr Kow Cheong Wei, when contacted, said the original development plan consisted of a mix of apartments, semi-detached houses and bungalows.

“The high density project is unfair to the residents, but at the same time, it’s also unfair if the land owners and developers are asked to forgo the project.

“The developers had looked into low-density development and resubmitted their plans to the local council,” he said.

In a letter dated Nov 4, 2008, the residents were notified by the MPSJ that its one-stop centre committee had rejected the development application on Oct 14.

Nonetheless, the developers filed an appeal against this decision with the Appeals Board of the Selangor Town and Country Planning Department.

The hearing was supposed to be held on May 19 but has been postponed to July.

The developers declined to comment.