Mayland's Regalia Hit By Stop Work Order!

Respite for Villa Puteri

City Hall issues stop-work order after airspace intrusion outrage

SITI NURSURAYA ALI

Monday, March 21st, 2011 12:38:00

ON HOLD: Work on the Regalia service apartments has been suspended until City Hall and the developers find a solution — Pix: Arif Kartono

KUALA LUMPUR: After three years of filing complaints about noise, dust pollution and traffic congestion to KL City Hall, residents of Villa Puteri and Villa Putera condominiums in Jalan Tun Ismail here finally got what they wanted on Saturday when a stop-work order was issued to developer Mayland View Sdn Bhd and their contractor Bina Puri Sdn Bhd from continuing construction work on the neighbouring Regalia service apartments.

The order came after a site visit by a City Hall enforcement team led by Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Adnan Ikhsan, following a report by The Malay Mail last Friday in which residents expressed outrage over a flyover beam that allegedly intrudes into their airspace.

Adnan, accompanied by City Hall planning department director Mahadi C. Ngah, also met with Villa Puteri residents and management committee.

"Clearly, there are some safety measures which the Regalia contractors have not been adhering to," Adnan told The Paper That Cares.

"Based on the site plans provided by the condos' management committee, it appears the residents' complaints that a flyover beam has intruded into the condos' airspace is true, although we will have to wait for an official report by a surveyor on this."

Adnan assured residents he would monitor the case closely.

"I instructed City Hall to work with the residents and developer to find a solution acceptable to all."

During the weekend visit, residents expressed their frustration, anger and disbelief about City Hall's reaction to their complaints over the years.

When asked how approval could have been given for the Regalia project due to its extreme proximity to the Villa Puteri condo, Mahadi said: "The original plans allowed three developments and there were no problem when the whole land was under one ownership. In the early 1990s, the land was sub-divided into three different lots under three different owners. However, the Regalia developer carried out the project based on the original plan before it was sub-divided."

When asked by the Villa Puteri management committee why it took so long for City Hall to act on their complaints, Mahadi said he had no knowledge of the current developments and he was not aware the situation was that severe.

Residents call off protest

SAHARUDDIN: Protest halted after order issued

SIM: City Hall kept informed of the situation

VILLA Puteri residents called off a protest yesterday after City Hall issued a stop-work order to the developer of the neighbouring Regalia service apartments.

"Due to City Hall's latest action, we did not go ahead with the protest and removed all our placards," said Villa Puteri building manager Saharuddin Dollah. He said the management committee was planning the next course of action with its lawyer.

"We hope this matter will be resolved soon, although some residents want legal action to be taken against those involved in approving the flyover beam into Villa Puteri's airspace."

The management committee's lawyer Sim Kok Yew, said they were surprised City Hall was not aware of the flyover beam despite the committee keeping it informed of the situation every month for the past three years. He said the commitee had raised with City Hall the problems of dust, noise pollution and traffic congestion.

Villa Puteri resident Michelle Lim said: "I will believe the stop-work order when the developer demolishes the flyover beam. Most of the time, City Hall is all bark and no bite."

Another resident, Peter Chin, 52, said: "We are grateful to Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Adnan Ikhsan and City Hall for coming here and issuing the stop-work order, but we want to see real changes to the situation here."