CITY Hall will consider holding a public hearing for residents affected by a proposed commercial development in Jalan Lorong Sulaiman 1,  Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI).

City Hall planning director Sulaiman Mohamed said the project fell under Rule 5 of the Federal Territory Planning Act 1982.

Sulaiman said City Hall had put up signboards at the site asking residents for the feedback on the proposed project.

“They can put in their objections or support for the project. That is the process,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Rule 5 is a provision requiring the city council to inform residents of proposed projects in their neighbourhood that will involve land use conversion, zoning changes or density increase.

This is done through advertisements inviting objections to the project.

Nearby residents are unhappy with a proposal to build an office building at the site of a kindergarten in TTDI.

The project comprises two seven-storey office buildings with basement levels for parking.

The developer has applied to change the land use from residential to commercial.

Sulaiman said residents had until February 28 to submit their feedback on the project.

He said City Hall has published the project details in the newspapers on February 13-15.

Sulaiman said City Hall, after reviewing the objections to the proposed development, would call for a public hearing if necessary.

“The City Hall planning department will go through the objections and suggestions and decide if a public hearing needs to be called.

“We will look into objections put forward by those living next to the project site and those living within 20 metres of the borders of the development.”

“The residents have two weeks to put in their objections. After that we have two weeks to conduct a public hearing for those eligible to be heard.

“The planning department will have a meeting and decide on the public hearing.”

TTDI Residents’ Association vice-president Clinton Ang said it was not for City Hall to decide whether or not to hold a public inquiry.

“Rule 5 says they have to hold a public hearing.

“But in the first place, they should not have even entertained such a proposal as the land is gazetted as residential and we will oppose the conversion vehemently,” he said. – February 24, 2018.