KUALA LUMPUR: TAMAN Yarl residents here are relieved that City Hall has rejected a proposal to build a 21-storey luxury condominium block in Jalan Awan Selimpat, which they believed would make the area too densely-populated.
It is indicated on the proposed project site, next to the defunct OUG Club, that the developer wished to raise the population density from 60 to 322 people per hectare.
The city counci had refused the application on the grounds that the proposed change went against the KL Draft City Plan 2020, which only allowed for 40 people per hectare.
Taman Yarl Residents’ Association president Datuk Rabinder Singh praised City Hall for listening to the people.
“The association and the residents are grateful to City Hall, mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib and all the relevant agencies for resolving the matter,” he said.
Rabinder hoped that there would be no more high-density developments in the neighbourhood which would destroy the peace, safety and comfort of the residents.
He said a Taman Yarl resident who had paid a RM20,000 booking fee for a condo unit in the project had been refunded.
“After Streets reported the public hearing at City Hall, the resident went to the sales agent and asked for his money back. The agent agreed after some persuasion.”
Taman Yarl residents claimed that the developer had started selling the condominium units through an appointed agent late last year.
They lodged two reports against the real estate agent for collecting booking fees for a project that did not have building approval from City Hall.
Rabinder said he lodged a report after receiving a complaint from the resident who had paid the booking fee.
The resident had found out that the developer did not have a development order and a sales and advertisement licence, which made the selling of the units illegal under the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act 1966 (Act 118).
In March, Taman Yarl residents filed their objections against the project, citing reasons of safety, traffic congestion and pollution.
They were also worried that the construction work would affect the structural integrity of their homes.
Rabinder said City Hall had rejected a proposal to build two 17-storey condominium blocks on OUG Club land in October.