Hillslope project shelved

THERE were cheers and sighs of relief when residents at Bayan Hill Homes and Sri Kesidang Apartments in Bandar Puchong Jaya, Puchong, learnt that a hillslope development project in their neighbourhood has been shelved.

Kinrara assemblyman and Selangor executive councillor Teresa Kok announced last weekend that the mixed development project has been shelved. She also said the state government had rejected the project.

The Star in a report on May 25, 2009, under the heading “Nature’s splendour threathened by project” revealed that the project, a joint-venture between Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) and two other developers, was planned on a 68.1ha site near the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve.

It was estimated that the project would affect about 15,000 residents as it would be located close to five apartment complexes — Sri Penaga, D’Palma, Saraka, Desa Tanjung and Sri Cempaka — along Persiaran Wawasan and Persiaran Indera in Pusat Bandar Puchong.

The project plan showed 137 bungalows, 324 semi-detached houses, one commercial plot and an office site.

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

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

Explaining the sequence of events, Kok said: “The state exco approved the alienation of the state land in 1996 for the joint venture project.

“MPSJ rejected the developer’s planning permission application in May 2003 as 75% of the development area has a slope gradient exceeding 25° and is not suited for development.

“A revised layout plan that was subsequently submitted was also rejected by MPSJ in April 2006, on grounds that the developer had to present a new layout plan with lower density development. Besides that, they had to also submit a new traffic impact assessment report as the previous report had expired.

“The Selangor government rejected the developer’s applications in July 2008,” said Kok.

The developer and PNSB then filed an appeal against this decision with the Appeals Board in December 2008.

“However, in March 2011, PNSB sent a letter to the Appeals Board stating that it wanted to cancel its appeal and did not want to proceed with the project, based on the decision made by the Selangor exco meeting that was confirmed in a document dated August 2010,” said Kok.

“The letter indicates that the project no longer exists as PNSB no longer wants to proceed with the joint venture,” said Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo, who represented the residents at the Appeals Board.

While thankful that the project had been shelved, Sri Penaga apartment resident William Chan expressed concern that the site’s slope stability was still not assured.

Although not part of the council’s work scope, Kok said MPSJ would be requested to work with the area’s developers to check on the slope maintenance and landscape to ensure the maintenance is up to the mark.

On road maintenance, Kok said selected roads that were in bad condition would be upgraded.