Residents voice concern over project

RESIDENTS who attended the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) objection hearing session for a proposed residential high-rise project in Wangsa Maju Section 10 recently came out of it with the uncertainty of the safety of the forest located next to their homes.

According to Sheena Moses, 24, a green building consultant who has been living in Sri Ledang Condominium for more than 15 years, the authorities were not very receptive to a few of the issues they raised at the meeting.

Among the major concerns of the residents in the area is the loss of the green space, one of the remaining few in the area, as well as a worsened congestion problem.

A previous front page article by StarMetro published on Sept 13, quoted another resident Aisyah Farhanah Mohamad, 24, an intern at a local environmental organisation saying they were already facing the possibility of the latter problem.

“There are two upcoming projects nearby, one involving six 30-storey blocks and the other another high-rise residential development. These are along the main road leading into this area and will definitely cause an influx of people here,” she said.

They also say that cars are frequently parked along both sides of the roads close to the homes and rush hour congestion is very bad as there is only one access road to the area.

Those staying in the area are from the Wangsa Maju Section 10 low-cost flats as well as Sri Ledang, Sri Kinabalu, Sri Jelatek, Sri Lojing and Desa Villas Condominiums.

During the meeting, they were informed that the project does not involve developing the entire plot and 20%, consisting of Class 3 and 4 slopes, will be maintained.

The project in question will involve the construction of three 26-storey apartment blocks consisting of 721 units with a five-storey carpark podium as well as increase the population density from 60 people per acre to 319 people per acre.

As of the hearing date, the Facebook page they started to save the forest as well as an online petition has garnered more than 2,700 supporters.

By The Star