Outcry over developer’s plan for 28-storey tower at affluent Penang suburb

FMT:

 

Outcry over developer’s

plan for 28-storey tower at

affluent Penang suburb

Predeep Nambiar

-06 Feb 2025, 11:24 AM

Residents and parents oppose a high-rise project just 6m from a school in Pulau Tikus, citing safety, traffic, and zoning concerns.

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Parents leaving St Christopher’s School. The green hoarding is where a 28-storey serviced apartment is to be built and is being protested by residents.

GEORGE TOWN: 

Parents and residents are up in arms over a developer’s plan to build a 28-storey serviced apartment complex just 6m from a school in Pulau Tikus here.

The commercial residential project in Ayer Rajah, which will have more than 300 units, has sparked fears about safety, noise pollution, and traffic congestion, with many calling it an unsuitable addition to the neighbourhood.

Resident and lawyer Lim Mook San blasted the proposal, saying the neighbourhood was largely low-density, and comprised mostly bungalows.

“Most of the homes here are two to three storeys high,” he said after attending an objection hearing, held behind closed doors, between those affected and the developer.

He said the other objection came from the Royal Thai Consulate, which was adamant that the project would pose a security risk and run afoul of the Vienna Convention concerning the security of diplomatic premises.

FMT has reached out to the consulate for comment.

Lawyer Ong Yu Shin (right), representing St Christopher’s School, speaking to lawyer Lim Mook San (left) who was an objector to the project, at City Hall.

Lawyer Ong Yu Shin, representing St Christopher’s School, said the proposed development went against federal regulations requiring at least 20m between a new commercial development and neighbouring properties, especially schools.

“This project is way too close to the school, especially when the area right next to it is the students’ classrooms and playground,” he said.

Spanning 1.75 acres, Ong said the development also includes as many as 700 parking lots which would take up nine storeys and is likely to cause traffic chaos. He said the plot ratio could be 1:5, given that the area was designated as a commercial zone by the town planners.

A plot ratio of 1:5 means that the total gross floor area of a development can be five times the size of the land area.

“And this is in a largely residential area with a density of six units per acre.

“The school was only told about this plan just before Christmas. Hundreds of parents are against it,” he said.

FMT has reached out to the developer and the Penang Island City Council for comment.