Height concerns

The majority of the Urban Planning Committee is concerned that the proposed height for the public housing project in Avenida de Wai Long may block Taipa Grande Hill.
During a plenary meeting yesterday, Cheong Ion Man, Deputy Director of the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT), said the proposed heights for the project in Taipa meet the requirements of the Civil Aviation Authority (AACM).
According to the DSSOPT official, the public project, near the Macau International Airport comprises two parts, with the part for residential units set to be a maximum 155 metres high, while the other part for social and public facilities will be 90 metres at its tallest.
Director of DSSOPT Li Canfeng noted that the actual height of the project can be adjusted in the future based upon the research of the Environmental Protection Bureau.
Vice-Chairman of the Committee, Leong Keng Seng, enquired whether the government has conducted any evaluation of the surrounding environment, transportation and air condition for the project.
The DSSOPT Director asserted that the development plan for the area is only in its preliminary stage, adding other evaluations will only be made as the plan proceeds. 
 
Other options
Although the Committee agrees with the inadequateness of public housing in the territory, a number of members questioned whether the land plot in Avenida de Wai Long is the best choice for the project, given the location is distant from major districts.
“It is not appropriate to construct social housing because [social housing] is for the poorest [members of the] population,” reiterated member Leong Heng Kao. “The transportation system is not complete [there] and living costs in Taipa are comparatively more expensive.”
As such, many also questioned what kind of housing the government is planning to build in the area.
Member Lee Hay Ip, who is also the supervisor of Macau Association of Geotechnical Engineering, suggested the government provide more information in order to consider other suitable choices for the project.
In fact, the land plot was initially granted to Hong Kong businessman Joseph Lau Luen Hung for the now-scrapped La Scala project.
In 2006, Moon Ocean Ltd., a company controlled by Mr. Lau, was approved by the MSAR Government to acquire the five plots for the project for MOP1.37 billion. But the acquisition was invalidated by the authorities in 2012 once linked to the corruption case of ex-Secretary Ao Man Long.
Moon Ocean filed an appeal against the government’s decision but was turned down by the Court of Final Appeal in June of last year.
 
Facilities and possible impacts
On the other hand, the DSSOPT vice head said 40 per cent of the land – some 25,000 square metres – will be developed for auxiliary facilities for the project, which is a higher ratio in comparison to the Seac Pai Van Public Housing Complex.
The DSSOPT official added that there will be no underground exploitation of the project, noting facilities such as car parks will be built within the buildings.
Members also expressed concern about the noise of the project as it is close to the city’s airport.