TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1977
PROPOSALS IN NEW DEVELOPMENT PLAN MISINTERPRETED
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THE OLD BANYAN TREES ALONG NATHAN ROAD, LONG A FAMILIAR LANDMARK IN TSIM SHA TSUI, WILL BE PRESERVED UNDER A MAJOR PROPOSED NEW DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE DISTRICT.
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR. DAVID MCDONALD, CONFIRMED THIS TODAY IN A LUNCHEON ADDRESS TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG IN WHICH HE OUTLINED SOME OF THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE DRAFT TS IM SHA TSUI CUTLINE ZONING PLAN.
MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT 19 VALID OBJECTIONS TO THE ZONING PLAN HAD BEEN RECEIVED AND THESE WERE NOW BEING CONSIDERED BY THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD OF WHICH HE IS CHAIRMAN.
SOME OF THE PROPOSALS IN THE PLAN, HE SAID, HAD BEEN
MIS INTERPRETED AND GIVEN RISE TO SUCH MISCONCEPTIONS AS THE REMOVAL OF THE TREES AND THAT THE PROPOSED SHOPS ALONG THE KOWLOON PARK FRONTAGE WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE PARK'S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
MR. MCDONALD ASSURED THE ROTARIANS THAT THIS WAS NOT SO. +IN FACT, AS THE SHOPS ARE INTENDED TO BE ONE AND TWO-STOREY BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED TO A UNIFORM DESIGN WITH THEIR ROOFS BELOW THE PARK LEVEL. THE USABLE RECREATIONAL AREA COULD BE INCREASED BY EXTENDING OVER THE ROOFS OF THE SHOPS.
+ THE DRAFT PLAN SHOWS A CONSIDERABLE REDUCTION IN THE COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL USE ZONING WHEN COMPARED WITH THE OLD APPROVED PLAN AND HAS THE EFFECT OF INCREASING THE AREA OF KOWLOON PARK BY MORE THAN 16 PER CENT,+ HE SAID.
HE SAID THE SHOPPING BLOCKS WERE PLANNED TO OCCUPY THE AREA OF THE EXISTING EMBANKMENT WHICH DID NOT FORM PART OF THE RECREATIONAL AREAS, AND WOULD NOT THEREFORE DIRECTLY AFFECT OR DELAY THE ORIGINAL PARK DEVELOPMENT.
ANCTHER ADVANTAGE, HE SAID, WOULD BE THAT ACCESS TO THE PARK FROM NATHAN ROAD WOULD BE CONSIDERABLY IMPROVED AS THE THREE SHOPPING BLOCKS WOULD BE SEPARATED BY 15-METRE WIDE STAIRWAYS GIVING GENEROUS OPEN PUBLIC ACCESS INTO THE PARK.
REFERRING TO THE PROPOSED COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA BOUNDED BY MODY RCAD, HANCI ROAD, CARNARVON ROAD AND BRISTOL AVENUE, MR. MCDONALD SAID HE WAS CONVINCED THAT THE BEST APPROACH WAS TO REDEVELOP THE AREA AS ONE ENTITY, RATHER THAN ON A PIECEMEAL BASIS.
HE EXPLAINED THAT THE LEASES OF ALL BUT FOUR PROPERTIES WITHIN THE AREA EXPIRED SIMULTANEOUSLY ON DECEMBER 31, 1975 WHEN THEY REVERT TO THE GOVERNMENT.
IF THE PROPERTIES WERE NOT REQUIRED FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE THE LEASES MOULD NORMALLY BE REGRANTED, HE SAID, BUT THE REGRANT PREMIUM WOULD HAVE TO BE EASED ON THE FULL MARKET VALUE OF THE SITES AT THE DATE ON LEICH THE LEASES EXPIRE.