Development control agency comes under fire

Development control agency comes under fire

JAKARTA (JP): The name is impressive, the City Development
Control Agency. Its job is to maintain the supremacy of
regulations on city planning, but many people have complained
that it contributes to the city's disorganized planning.

The agency has the greatest role to play in establishing
successful city planning because it has the authority to control
city development programs.

In reality, people can tear down and construct other
structures despite city planning regulations stating otherwise
after a bit of negotiation with authorized bodies, especially the
development control agency.

Several city residents, some of whom spoke on the condition of
anonymity, shared their experiences in dealing with the agency
with The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Architect Edison Yulius said demolishing a protected building
in the city was not difficult, "just pay some tens of million of
rupiah and we can construct a new building even in protected
areas".

About five years ago, Edison said, one of his clients wanted
to demolish an old mansion located in Menteng, Central Jakarta,
and build a new house in its place. It would have breached a
gubernatorial decree on Menteng as a heritage area.

"But an official at the agency just let the building be
demolished after asking for some Rp 10 million," he said.

He said the amount asked for varied according to the location
and the building's width.

"About one month ago, another client of mine, who intends to
construct a building on Jl. Sam Ratulangi, also in Menteng, was
asked to pay Rp 60 million for a building permit.

Moreover, some owners of old buildings have expressed surprise
at the lack of support they received from the city agency when
they tried to repair old buildings.

An owner of an old building in the downtown Kota area in West
Jakarta, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said she was
asked to pay Rp 8 million to obtain a renovation permit from the
development control agency.

"An official said the payment included the fees to obtain
recommendation from the museum and restoration agency," she said.

Another woman was asked to pay even more, Rp 30 million, to
get a renovation permit for her old building, also in the Kota
area.

"It's so ironic that people are told to take care of city
heritage, but on the other hand city officials turn a blind eye
to the matter," she said.

None of the agency officials could be reached for comment on
Saturday.

Edison said it was not surprising that almost 50 percent of
the Menteng area, home to hundreds of old, huge mansions of the
Dutch colonial era, had changed due to the construction of new
and modern constructions.

"So I am not surprised to read articles in the media that
parts of the former Supreme Court building have been damaged," he
said.

The damages to the rear part of the protected building on Jl.
Lapangan Banteng Timur, owned by the Directorate General of the
Budget, sparked controversy because the damages were caused by
the construction of a new building.

The case of the former Supreme Court building was at least the
third in the city recently, following reports of damages to the
former immigration office and minor damages to the Antara news
agency building. Both were protected structures in Central
Jakarta. (ind)