Outrage over forest park's latest attraction: apartments
By Lu Feiran |
March 28, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
There's something new growing in the Tianjiling National Forest Park - houses.
A real estate developer is currently at work on the second phase of a residential area in the "green lung" of Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, a China Central Television investigation has revealed.
The buildings have caused a public outcry in the city with many people questioning why such a development had been allowed in the area formerly known as the Hunan Forest Botanical Garden.
Under Chinese law, public greenery areas cannot be used for other purposes.
Officials of the Changsha Greenery Administrative Bureau said they didn't know anything about the development of the residential area.
"We never received any application saying that there would be a residential area constructed inside the garden," said the bureau's Xiong Biluo.
The Changsha Urban Planning Authority, however, said the residential buildings were in the "functional area" of the garden, which didn't form part of the greenery area. Therefore officials approved the project without discussing the matter with greenery authorities.
Park officials said the project was to "solve the housing problem for staff." But the real estate developer said that some apartments would be sold to the public.
The residential development has been named "Shanshui Lincheng," which means "residential area with mountain, water and forest."
Tan Guoping, general manager of Huayang Real Estate Co Ltd, the area's developer, said the first phase of apartments had been sold to garden staff, at a price of about 2,520 yuan (US$384) per square meter, while the second phase will be sold to the public.
"These apartments will cost at least 6,900 yuan a square meter," Tan told CCTV. "And we reckon that the average price will be 7,200 yuan."
CCTV said the land was sold at a public auction in 2008. Its report claimed Huayang reached an agreement with the park in 2006, and the auction was a mere formality.
A real estate developer is currently at work on the second phase of a residential area in the "green lung" of Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, a China Central Television investigation has revealed.
The buildings have caused a public outcry in the city with many people questioning why such a development had been allowed in the area formerly known as the Hunan Forest Botanical Garden.
Under Chinese law, public greenery areas cannot be used for other purposes.
Officials of the Changsha Greenery Administrative Bureau said they didn't know anything about the development of the residential area.
"We never received any application saying that there would be a residential area constructed inside the garden," said the bureau's Xiong Biluo.
The Changsha Urban Planning Authority, however, said the residential buildings were in the "functional area" of the garden, which didn't form part of the greenery area. Therefore officials approved the project without discussing the matter with greenery authorities.
Park officials said the project was to "solve the housing problem for staff." But the real estate developer said that some apartments would be sold to the public.
The residential development has been named "Shanshui Lincheng," which means "residential area with mountain, water and forest."
Tan Guoping, general manager of Huayang Real Estate Co Ltd, the area's developer, said the first phase of apartments had been sold to garden staff, at a price of about 2,520 yuan (US$384) per square meter, while the second phase will be sold to the public.
"These apartments will cost at least 6,900 yuan a square meter," Tan told CCTV. "And we reckon that the average price will be 7,200 yuan."
CCTV said the land was sold at a public auction in 2008. Its report claimed Huayang reached an agreement with the park in 2006, and the auction was a mere formality.
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