Governor orders a halt to Kemang construction plans<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The city has called a temporary halt to issuing
\npermits for construction in the Kemang area, because 90 percent
\nof its buildings are not houses, South Jakarta Mayor Pardjoko
\nsaid yesterday.<\/p>\n
Restaurants, cafes and other non-residential buildings on Jl.
\nKemang Raya will be studied by a city team.<\/p>\n
\"We will check their permits, and whoever issued them,\"
\nPardjoko said.<\/p>\n
Governor Surjadi Soedirdja signed an instruction for the
\ntemporary halt on March 18, Pardjoko said after the Governor's
\nspeech to the council on his administration's responsibilities
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
\"Kemang is a residential area, so, at most, only 15 percent of
\nthe buildings can be non-residential, like a doctor's practice or
\na beauty parlor,\" Pardjoko said.<\/p>\n
In the meantime the area, where many expatriates live, is in
\na status quo, Pardjoko said.<\/p>\n
He said the team's deadline was \"as soon as possible\".<\/p>\n
He confirmed that the city recorded at least 123 non-
\nresidential buildings along the road.<\/p>\n
Apart from the fact that the current use of buildings was not
\nin line with spatial plans designating the road a residential
\narea, Pardjoko said residents had complained of traffic jams.<\/p>\n
Surjadi's instruction ordered the mayor and relevant offices
\nto check building permits in Kemang; to hold dialogs with
\nresidents and to seek \"wise\" settlements.<\/p>\n
Pardjoko said he expected good cooperation from building
\nowners \"because they have invested large sums of money and would
\nnot want to lose it because of legal problems\".<\/p>\n
Kemang has more than 30 cafes and restaurants which attract
\nresidents and the wider public, including celebrities.<\/p>\n
Art curio<\/p>\n
Other establishments include art curio and furniture stores.<\/p>\n
But earlier this month officials said the city was considering
\nreturning Kemang to its original status as a residential and
\nwater catchment area.<\/p>\n
Toha Reno, an official in charge of entertainment
\nestablishments at the city's public order office, raised concerns
\nthat building owners were threatening the environment by
\ntransforming green areas into parking lots and building artesian
\nwells.<\/p>\n
The city's tourism agency also said no new license
\napplications would be processed. Since last year Kemang, like
\nother areas, has been reevaluated, an official said.<\/p>\n
The agency has found that several restaurants were built
\nwithout restaurant construction permits, only housing permits,
\nthe official said. (anr)<\/p>",
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