TAMAN Desa residents today handed over a memorandum to The Address condominiums’ contractor and developer, protesting against the high noise levels and safety issues at the construction site.

The residents of Tiara Faber and Desa 1 Residences, who live adjacent to the development, also raised concerns about extended work hours and poor traffic management at the site.

Site manager M. Chaudiran, representing the contractor, said Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) personnel frequently came to the site to assess and monitor the work being carried out.

“DBKL came with their environmental department personnel, and they measured the noise levels at the site at 66 decibels. The permitted noise levels are up to 80 decibels.

“We have two noise-monitoring devices on-site, and one at Desa 1 Residences. They are monitoring 24 hours a day, and we collect the data weekly. Our noise levels are between 60 decibels and 70 decibels.”

On the extended work hours on November 5 and 19, Chaudiran said this was unavoidable.

“On November 5, we were in the process of casting concrete piles to form the base of the building. This process cannot be halted as doing so would affect the integrity of the piles.

“Because traffic was heavy that day, the truck carrying the materials was late to arrive, and that was why we had to continue working till 8.15pm.

“On November 19, we turned on our excavators, but we had not started working yet. Probably, that was the source of the noise.”

He gave an assurance that no work would otherwise be carried out beyond the approved time frame, which DBKL had set from 7am to 7pm, and that there were no plans by the developer to extend work hours at the site.

He said DBKL recently issued a fine of RM1,000 after trailers left tyre track marks on the road.

“In a week, we receive four shipments of materials via trailers. When a shipment arrives, we have men stationed inside to clean the tyres, and outside to ensure safety.

“Even leaving tyre track marks on the road leads to a fine by DBKL.”

Chaudiran said the back entrance of a school near the site was rarely used by parents, and as such, the work being carried out at the site would not cause traffic congestion.

“We started work on November 14. There are usually fewer than 20 cars at the school’s back entrance, and this won’t cause congestion issues.”

DBKL, in August last year, issued a notice stating that it had received an application for planning permission for The Address.

The project comprises 649 units in three blocks of 34- to 42-storey buildings, which would increase density from 60 people per acre to 650 people.

A suit filed by the Protect Taman Desa Coalition against KL Mayor Mohd Amin Nordin Abdul Aziz over the development of The Address has been postponed to two dates next year, following an intervention filed by the developer.

“The judicial review will be on January 29 and February 10,” said M. Gunasekar, a spokesman for the group.

The hearing was originally slated for November 29. – December 9, 2017.