Inconsistent permit policy criticized

Inconsistent permit policy criticized

Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration's policy with respect to the building
and restoration of houses in Menteng, Central Jakarta, is being
questioned by longtime residents, as they consider the
administration to be imposing double standards in issuing
construction permits.

The establishment of small hotels, restaurants and buildings,
as seen along Jl. K.H Wahid Hasyim, has clearly disregarded the
garden city concept of the area, and developers are still able to
obtain permits from the city administration for business
purposes.

According to Gubernatorial Decree No.D.IV-6097/d/33/1975,
Menteng is designated a conservation area due to its many
historic buildings of unique architectural value.

Destroying and replacing houses that have particular
historical or architectural quality is prohibited by the decree.
However, as the decree does not state a penalty for violators,
many old houses have been replaced by new ones that do not have
the characteristics of traditional Menteng houses.

"The new residents are allowed to build fortress-like houses,
with high walls and gates. According to the rules, there is a
specified minimum separation between houses, and gates should not
be higher than 1.5 meters," said Mrs. Kartakusuma, a Menteng
resident for 40 years, at a seminar on restoration in Menteng
held by the City Museum and Restoration Agency.

Apart from the unclear regulations, the resident cited concern
over the high property tax in Menteng, saying that it had forced
old residents who were unable to afford the land tax to sell
their property to the nouveau rich, who were uninterested in
conserving the old houses.

"They tear down old residences and build Mediterranean-style
houses in the area, which are not suited to the original planning
concept" said Fauzi Bowo, the City Secretary who is also a
Menteng resident.

"The thoroughgoing coordination and attention of the city's
development and urban planning agency is critical to the
preservation of Menteng," he added.

According to historian Adolf Heuken, another possible option
that could be implemented in the area would be to impose higher
land taxes on those who violated the construction regulations,
and to minimize the tax on houses built in accordance with them.

Urban architects also stressed the importance of stringent
guidelines and the need for government agencies to be much more
proactive in overseeing developments in the area.

"There isn't a single agency that is completely responsible:
Agencies seem to shirk their responsibilities when it comes to
this matter," said one urban architect, Djauhari Sumintardja.

But chief of the city restoration agency Idris defended
agencies at the city administration, saying, "We can't blame the
agencies themselves ... the problem is the impropriety of certain
city officials."