【Petition】 Stop selling public green space in Kaohsiung Lotus Lake! Protect Dragon Tiger Tower ~

已更新：2021年8月8日

Zuoying Dist., Kaohsiung City, beside Lianchitan (Lotus Pond), 5.99 hectares public green space located between Shengli Rd and Cuihua Rd will be sold for private 20-story buildings under urban renewal by government. Greenery replaced by concrete; views, skyline, and over hundred years of cultural scenic around Lianchitan will be violently destroyed. A photo taken at the Dragon Tiger Tower will have its beautiful blue sky replaced by cement buildings, impacting tourism industry worth hundreds of billions of NTDs and diminishing the quality of life for all Zuoying residents.

Things that stands in the way of the development, including numerous old trees, hundred years of waterway scenic, as well as the Southern Region Children’s Home which has been around for over 50 years may be demolished, deteriorating the air quality. Right Now, this green space has not been sold yet. We appeal to all Kaohsiung residents for a petition to public opinion representatives and the government to

STOP this destructive project immediately !!!

Lotus Lake green space become super high-rise buildings ，destroy the beautiful landscape & the tourism industry

Lianchitan(Lotus Pond), as one of Kaohsiung’s most important scenic area, the lake view has been the major attraction supporting the tourism industry. Now, this public green space is going to be sold for super high-rise buildings. This will definitely destroy the beautiful landscape and skyline around Lianchitan! Imaging taking a picture at Dragon Tiger Tower along with 2 cement buildings behind us? How ugly that would be!

It’s going to put all Kaohsiung residents to shame!

In the future, as the scenery of Lianchitan became ugly, tourist flow is bound to reduce sharply. The impact due to pandemic is only short term, this development project however is going to crush the billion NTDs worth tourism industry for the long run, including hotels, tour guides, temples and catering nearby…etc.

Former Kaohsiung mayor Mr. Hsieh had once stopped the proposal to build the super high way at Cuihua Rd in order to protect the scenery and skyline of Lianchitan; can the current government take that as a role model, and change their mind?

Current Housing near the lake will have their views obstructed

The lake view of current housings near the lake will be shaded if super high-rise buildings are to be constructed. Only the developers would gain the huge profit, while the views of thousands of residents currently staying in the housings near the lake would be obstructed, badly deteriorating their current quality of life.

View before obstruction / View after obstruction

From public and low intensity development to selling to private super high-rise buildings

In the past, this green space was placed under the category of cultural & educational district, which allows for buildings with 40% building coverage ratio and 260% floor area ratio, and typically limiting building height to below 6 stories. The land can be used for public purposes such as museum, stadium, memorial…etc.

In 2014, this land category of this area was changed to special zone for tourism purpose which enhanced its development capacity to 50% building coverage ratio and 300% floor area ratio, but still prohibiting floor area transfer and residential building; building height is also limited to below 50 meters. Skyline and landscape impact was also required to be reviewed by the urban design office. When rented for hotel construction through BOT model, the project was suspended due to opposition by households facing demolition.

Now, in 2021, the government again plans to change the land category to commercial usage under urban renewal, selling the land for private super high-rise construction, giving them 60% building coverage ratio and 490% floor area ratio, providing an additional 1.5 times the floor area due to it being under the urban renewal plan, plus yet an additional 30% floor area if through floor area transfer. The government also plans to treat land that requires relocation separately. This would mean that, if the project is to be approved, this land could be allowed to build 20-40 stories super high-rise building.

【舊左營國中都市計畫變更，都發局公展網址】https://reurl.cc/O0Lpjr

Kaohsiung government selling public green space for 17 billion, sacrificing the Lianchitan lake view and 800 billion tourism industry

The main purpose of the urban renewal is to increase the selling value for public lands. It can be gathered from the news that, if this land is converted to commercial usage, its value could rise from 2.6 billion up to 17 billion NTD. In trying to sell public lands to top up the municipality finance, the Kaohsiung government intends to sacrifice the landscape of Lianchitan scenic area.

We wish to remind the Kaohsiung government that Lianchitan with its more than hundred-years of cultural landscape, including the Dragon Tiger Tower, is one of the most important scenic area in Kaohsiung. It is not wise to sacrifice the scenic area for the short term 17 billion NTD financial improvement. This asks to killing the goose that lays the golden egg.Only by protecting our scenic areas can we truly create endless cash flow to the local industry which in turn brings tax income to support the government.

20200807 news：https://news.housefun.com.tw/news/article/176367267400.html

202107 news：https://estate.ltn.com.tw/article/12106

Precious and rare public green space should not be sold easily. Many better usages are possible.

The 5.99 hectares public space in Lianchitan is rare and precious. Scenic area needs green space to connect the various attractions. At the same time, more public spaces are also required to bring in public facilities in order to attract more crowds. Saving the old trees, protecting the hundred years of waterway, and keeping the Southern Region Children’s Home that has been around for more than 50-years should be the way to bring cultural depth to scenic area.

In the meantime, we can also enhance the scenic area facilities with more functions such as building waterfront park, children water park, cultural and creative industries hub, sports center, library, Old Town literature & history museum, exhibition center, camping site, public kindergarten…etc, all of these are better solutions that could bring about scenic and tourism development, as well as improving day to day functionalities. As compared to selling the scenic space for private construction, wouldn’t these be much better options for all Kaohsiung city residents?

green space(left ) is better than commercial usage(right)

20 old tress being qualified by specific memorial regulation, need to protect immediately.

After survey by Forest city association, in this green area, there are 50 trees around and more than 20 old trees with 300 centimeter girth are qualified for specific memorial by Kaohsiung government and we do send our petition to Maya for asking protection。Due to extremely high mortality rate of transplant, transplant or even felling are not allowed and if needed, as fewer as possible, nearby and keep whole trees shape transplant are minimum requirement。

Literature and history for hundred years of waterway and 50-years-old Southern Region Children’s Home need to protect completely

Per Zuoying’s old town cultural association, there were four waterways with hundred years of history in this field and three waterways十五戈圳、前峰圳、龜頭涵圳are still workable。Besides, 50-years-old Southern Region Children’s Home is another spot light we need to protect ; if we can follow the examples of museum of contemporary art、Huashan 1914 creative park… to activate those historical relic, would definitely enhance overall Lianchitan tourism value。