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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1977
AS FOR RENOVATING AND ADAPTING THE FORMER RAILWAY STATION BUILDING FOR CULTURAL USES, THE REPLY POINTS OUT THAT THIS HAD BEEN CONSIDERED AND, ALTHOUGH THE BUILDING COULD BE CONVERTED AT CONSIDERABLE COST FOR CERTAIN LIMITED USES, IT COULD NOT PROVIDE AN AUDITORIUM OR OTHER FACILITIES OF A HIGH STANDARD.
+CONTRARY TO WHAT IS SUGGESTED IN THE PETITION, THE LETTER CONTINUES, +PLANNING FOR THE CULTURAL COMPLEX IS AT AN ADVANCED STAGE.
+THE PRESENT DESIGN OF THE COMPLEX ON THIS IMPORTANT SITE WOULD BE TOTALLY CHANGED BY THE RETENTION OF THE FORMER RAILWAY STATION,
+ IT IS THE VIEW BOTH OF GOVERNMENT AND OF THE URBAN COUNCIL THAT A SCHEME WHICH INCLUDES THIS BUILDING WOULD RESULT IN A LESS PLEASING AND LESS PRACTICAL CULTURAL COMPLEX+.
MOREOVER, IT WOULD TAKE ONE-AND-A-HALF TO TWO YEARS TO REDESIGN THE COMPLEX, A DELAY WHICH THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED +FOR THIS MUCH NEEDED FACILITY+.
THE LETTER SAYS THAT THE PRINCIPAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE PUBLIC OF THE RAILWAY STATION BUILDING IS FELT TO BE ITS FAMILIARITY AS A LANDMARK. IT STATES THAT THIS ROLE WILL BE ASSUMED IN DUE COURSE BY THE NEW CULTURAL COMPLEX.
AS FOR CRITICISM OF LACK OF OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON DRAFT PLANS PRODUCED BY THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD, THE LETTER SAYS THAT THIS TOOK NO ACCOUNT OF EXISTING PROCEDURES PROVIDED FOR UNDER THE TOWN PLANNING ORDINANCE.
+ IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE PROCEDURES, DRAFT PLANS ARE EXHIBITED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT OR OBJECTION AND ARE PUBLICISED TO ENSURE THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS AWARE OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE DRAFT PLAN AND OF THE IR RIGHT TO COMMENT ON OR OBJECT TO IT.
+ALL OBJECTORS TO DRAFT TOWN PLANS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE WRITTEN REPRESENTATIONS WHICH CAN BE SUPPLEMENTED IF NECESSARY BY PERSONAL APPEARANCES BEFORE THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD.
+THIS PROCEDURE WAS ADOPTED IN THE PROCESSING OF THE TSIM SHA TSUI DRAFT OUTLINE ZONING PLAN AND, AS A RESULT OF PUBLIC COMMENTS AND OBJECTIONS RECEIVED, SEVERAL ASPECTS OF THE DRAFT PLAN HAVE SINCE BEEN AMENDED+.
THE CONVENING OF AN INDEPENDENT INQUIRY WOULD DUPLICATE WORK WHICH IS ALREADY BEING DONE AND WOULD USURP THE STATUTORY FUNCTIONS OF THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD.
REGARDING THE SITE FOR A PROPOSED PUBLIC TRANSPORT TERMINUS, THE REPLY SAYS THAT A PUBLIC TRANSPORT TERMINUS COULD NOT BE SITED AT THE BOTTOM OF NATHAN ROAD, AS SUGGESTED IN YOUR PETITION, SINCE THIS WOULD GENERATE SERIOUS TRAFFIC PROBLEMS WHICH COULD NOT BE SATISFACTORILY RESOLVED+.
+THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD HAS EVALUATED THE COMPETING DEMANDS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND OPEN SPACE AT TSIM SHA TSUI AND HAS DECIDED THAT THE OPEN SPACE SHOULD BE SITED ELSEWHERE+, THE LETTER CONCLUDES.
C