KOTA KINABALU, Aug 13 — A proposed 19-storey hotel on Tanjung Aru’s prime beachfront land is getting a lot of heat from neighbouring residential and recreational establishments who are already struggling with congestion.
Residents of the nearby Waikiki Condominium said that the hotel posed significant traffic congestion, environmental hazards and pollution if steps were not taken to mitigate the project.
Proposed to be built on less than two acres of land on the doorstep of the famed sunset beaches of Tanjung Aru, the hotel, by Pekah Beach Resorts, is expected to have more than 400 rooms in its one block.
“We are talking about around 800 additional people in the area. That means constructing facilities for the area that is already struggling to cope with the current traffic jams,” said Sacha Vaz, a resident of Waikiki condominium just adjacent to the proposed project.
He said he and other residents were also concerned of the many hazards that the construction works will cause to their condominium just adjacent like sound as well air pollution that will impact not just residents but also wildlife and the environment.
“Floods were not really a concern before, but the water level has naturally been rising. If they start digging holes for their basements, it will expedite changes to the water table and this might start floods in our building too,” he said.
Most of the concerns are regarding traffic into two lane road access that serves the condominium, the Kinabalu Golf Club, Kinabalu Yacht Club, Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Beach Resort, the Japan consulate and other establishments.
Environmentalists have also pointed out that any large scale construction is bound to impact the sensitive sea front ecosystem which is home to rare bird species including the hornbill, flocks of parrots and marine species like the dugong which was recently spotted hanging out in the area, horseshoe crabs and turtles which are also found.
“I don’t think anyone is for it for numerous reasons, not least because it is already congested. It is supposed to be for light commercial use, but a hotel of this scale wouldn’t fit here,” said Alan Benjamin, the chairman of the condominium’s residents committee.
Pekah’s environmental consultants, Chemsain who is tasked with the environmental impact assessment report, has said that the developer intends to widen the access road from two lanes to three leading to the hotel.
However, residents said that this will more likely create a bottleneck if not tackled holistically.
The two-acre land on the beach was previously occupied by a family since pre-independence but was sold to Pekah about eight years ago.
The Tanjung Aru 4-5km stretch of beach has been earmarked for development and commercialisation under the management of Tanjung Aru Eco Development.
However, it was reported that development has been postponed while it focuses on the shifting of hawker stalls. The beach is famous for sunsets and recreational activities, attracting hundreds to thousands of people during dusk.
