Team reassessing buildings in Kemang

JAKARTA (JP): A team from the Bandung Institute of Technology is conducting a study on the high number of buildings that are no longer fulfilling their designated function in Kemang, South Jakarta.

Deputy Governor of Economic and Development affairs Tb.M. Rais said yesterday the team was expected to come up with a neutral recommendation for the finalization of the city's spatial plan, which is currently being revised.

"The team's recommendation is needed to decide whether adjustments should be made in line with present developments or whether the area should be returned to its original purpose -- as a residential neighborhood," Rais told reporters at City Hall.

He said that the team, led by noted urban planner Mohammad Danisworo, was chosen because it was considered neutral. Danisworo is the head of the city's architecture team and chairman of the institute's Center for Urban Design Studies.

"The team is independent because it doesn't represent any interests. Its evaluation will be based entirely on the urban design guidelines," Rais said.

The current 1985-2005 spatial plan is being revised to become the 1997-2010 plan to accommodate the city's rapid developments.

Rais said the team would particularly analyze the change of designated use of many properties in the area from residential to commercial sites.

"We want to know from the team how far the change is needed," he said.

The team will also study the impact of the current developments on the traffic situation in the area.

"Many establishments in Kemang don't have their own parking lots so changes directly or otherwise, will affect the traffic. The team is also expected to come up with suggestions to solve the traffic problems," Rais said.

Despite the possibility of making adjustments based on the current development in Kemang, he said the area would still be dominated by residential sites.

"The administration knows the developments in Kemang have already happened. But, we don't want it to be overcrowded, and allow more commercial buildings than there should be," Rais said.

He said the team was expected to submit its results as soon as possible.

Establishments with the necessary permits would be allowed to operate until the permits expire. "But those which don't have permits will be closed down by the South Jakarta Mayoralty," Rais said.

Controversy enveloped Kemang after Governor Surjadi Soedirdja issued an instruction dated March 18 that all building permits in the area were to be checked.

The instruction said no new permits would be issued until everything was in order. Since then 18 establishments have been closed. Many were operating with housing instead of business permits.

According to city regulations, only 15 percent of buildings in the area are allowed to be nonresidential. But according to city data 90 percent of Kemang's buildings are no longer residential.

Surjadi said property owners' abuse of their permits was partially the fault of city officials who issued permits.

M. Sinambela of House of Representatives Commission X for national development planning said after meeting the governor in May that developments such as those in Kemang should be considered favorable because they had occurred naturally.

The administration is planning to move some Kemang businesses to Kota in West Jakarta as part of the plan to help revitalize Kota and to centralize tourism activities there. (ste)