Rezoning Kowloon Tong site to residential is short-sighted

A government proposal was submitted to the Town Planning Board earlier this year to rezone the southern portion of the former Lee Wai Lee site in Kowloon Tong from government, institution or community (GIC) use to residential (Group B), allowing for mid-density residential development.

As a civil engineer working in the field for over three decades, I question whether the proposed rezoning conforms to the planning intention of the outline zoning plan (OZP) and whether it is consistent with the existing zoning of the surrounding areas?

In line with the first statutory plan covering the Kowloon Tong area gazetted in 1979, most lots in the area have been developed into low-rise and low-density private dwellings which are unique in scale and design.

To preserve the special character of the neighbourhood and prevent excessive development in areas with limited road access, residential zones in the area are subject to specific controls on plot ratio/gross floor area and building height, originally effected through stringent lease conditions.

The former Lee Wai Lee site is surrounded by GIC sites and a military camp. The site is only 8,811 square metres and would be isolated among all the GIC sites if the rezoning is approved.

The planning intention as stated in the explanatory statement of the OZP has held good for more than three decades. If there is a major change in the planning intention, the public should be consulted and the explanatory statement amended.

There are no residential (Group B) zoned areas in the OZP. Thus, the rezoning of the southern portion of the former Lee Wai Lee site to residential (Group B) with a plot ratio of 4.5 would make the site about 2.5 times denser than the residential cluster in its vicinity.

This would set a precedent, encouraging owners to increase the density of development on their plots.

Moreover, the capacity of the strategic road network and that of the MTR Kwun Tong Line and East Rail Line stations at Kowloon Tong have been major factors limiting intensification of development. Until future traffic and infrastructural improvements, such as the Central Kowloon Route, are in place, the existing level of development in the area should be maintained.

The Town Planning Board should consider whether it is worth giving up the established planning principles for a short-sighted move that does not offer sufficient benefits to the community.

So Wing-kin, Central