Alarm bells have started ringing over premature talk of higher densities for property development on Penang Island.
Penang property developers must be grinning like Cheshire cats after reading a news report which said that the Penang Municipal Council has revised the plot ratio guidelines for high-rise properties in commercial and tourism areas on the island. This would allow the developers to build 122,000 sq ft per acre (i.e. up to 87 units) compared with 42,000 sq ft previously. See The Star report here. Notice also the low, low quota for medium-cost units. (Why isn’t anyone talking about low-income housing?)
But hold your horses.
Earlier this year, the state exco apparently agreed to the higher density to make apartments more affordable for yuppies. But, from what I hear, this higher density was for transit-oriented development (TOD), and this is what is to be provided for in the draft local plan.
But for TOD to work, the proper supporting infrastructure must be in place; otherwise, the higher density will only add to the congestion along transit/transport arteries.
These TOD areas apparently can only be publicised with the release of the local plan. Presumably, applications for development will have to conform with the local plan.
Crucially, it is the full council of the MPPP (and not the state exco) that has to approve the higher density as only the MPPP has jurisdiction over this.
Now that the issue of higher density has been reported in the press, the MPPP must clarify whether such higher-density TOD areas have already been implemented and if so, who was responsibly for the approval.
Image via Wikipedia
But hold your horses.
Earlier this year, the state exco apparently agreed to the higher density to make apartments more affordable for yuppies. But, from what I hear, this higher density was for transit-oriented development (TOD), and this is what is to be provided for in the draft local plan.
But for TOD to work, the proper supporting infrastructure must be in place; otherwise, the higher density will only add to the congestion along transit/transport arteries.
These TOD areas apparently can only be publicised with the release of the local plan. Presumably, applications for development will have to conform with the local plan.
Crucially, it is the full council of the MPPP (and not the state exco) that has to approve the higher density as only the MPPP has jurisdiction over this.
Now that the issue of higher density has been reported in the press, the MPPP must clarify whether such higher-density TOD areas have already been implemented and if so, who was responsibly for the approval.
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